Religion and life cycles in early modern England assembles scholars working in the fields of history, English literature and art history to further our understanding of the intersection between religion and the life course in the period c. 1550-1800. Featuring chapters on Catholic, Protestant and Jewish communities, it encourages cross-confessional comparison between life stages and rites of passage that were of religious significance to all faiths in early modern England. The book considers biological processes such as birth and death, aspects of the social life cycle including schooling, coming of age and marriage and understandings of religious transition points such as spiritual awakenings and conversion. Through this inclusive and interdisciplinary approach, it seeks to show that the life cycle was not something fixed or predetermined and that early modern individuals experienced multiple, overlapping life cycles.

About the Author

Caroline Bowden is Senior Research Fellow in History at Queen Mary University of London

Emily Vine is Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham

Tessa Whitehouse is Senior Lecturer in English at Queen Mary University of London

Reviews

The volume as a whole is accessible and refreshingly free of jargon and superfluous theoretical baggage. It is well designed, with some excellent illustrations. It deserves to be widely read and consulted.
The Journal of the Social History Society

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Book Information
ISBN 9781526149237
Author Caroline Bowden
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Manchester University Press
Publisher Manchester University Press
Weight(grams) 685g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 138mm * 25mm