Did Martin Luther really post his 95 Theses to the Wittenberg Castle Church door in October 1517? Probably not, says Reformation historian Peter Marshall. But though the event might be mythic, it became one of the great defining episodes in Western history, a symbol of religious freedom of conscience which still shapes our world 500 years later.
A scholarly edition of a set of manuscripts which reveal the political and ecclesiastical views of the Puritans in the period between their official suppression by the crown in 1592 and their sudden resurgence around the time of the English Civil Wars.
Linked to a six-part Channel 4 television series, this is an exploration of the inner workings of the Salvation Army as it tries to adapt to changing times through corporate restructuring without compromising its ideals. The book also examines the organization's history.
The story of the composition, first performances and cultural afterlife of one of the best-loved and most widely performed works in the entire history of music.
An innovative study of Reformation attitudes to medieval Christianity, revealing the process by which the medieval past was rewritten by Reformation propagandists.
We learn of rogue saints exploited by holy sinners, the pomp and prosperity that followed these ships of stone, the towns that grew up in their shadows, the impact of the Black Death, the Reformation and icon-smashing Puritanism, the revival brought about by the Industrial Revolution, and the hope and disillusion of two world wars.
This volume addresses the rich, complex, and varied nature of 'church life' experienced by England's Baptists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians during the seventeenth century.
Could slaves become Christian? If so, did their conversion lead to freedom? If not, then how could perpetual enslavement be justified? Christian Slavery shows how debates about slavery transformed the practice of Protestantism and the language of race in the early modern Atlantic world.
The Gothic Revival movement in architecture was intimately entwined with 18th - and 19th - century British cultural politics. In this study, the author traces the global reach and influence of the Gothic Revival throughout Britain's empire during these crucial decades.
How did an obscure personality cult come to be the world's biggest religion, with a third of humanity its followers? This book describes not only the main facts, ideas and personalities of Christian history, its organization and spirituality, but how it has changed politics, sex, and human society.
For centuries the great religious buildings of Great Britain have inspired and fascinated pilgrims and visitors from around the world. The beauty and diversity of British ecclesiastical architecture is superbly captured in this guide to over 60 of Britain's finest cathedrals.
Bringing together researchers in modern British religious, political, intellectual and social history, this volume considers the persistence of the Church's public significance, despite its falling membership.
Churches contain much of the most interesting medieval sculpture in the country. Magnificent effigies, whether of cast copper-alloy or stone, never cease to provoke awe and wonder, conjuring up glamorous images of an age of chivalry. This book uncovers monuments as a rich source of information relevant to an exceedingly diverse range of subjects.
A source book for students of the patristic period and a companion volume to "Creeds, Councils and Controversies" and "Doctrine and Practice in the Early Church". This updated edition incorporates vital documents that were not available when the original collection was compiled.
This selection of writings from early church leaders includes work by Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, and Justin Martyr.Long recognized for the quality of its translations, introductions, explanatory notes, and indexes, the Library of Christian Classics provides scholars and students with modern English translations...
The Kings of the Grail presents the new, definitive historical and scientific facts that have come to light, unravelling the mystery that has surrounded the Holy Grail and taking the reader on a compelling and thought-provoking journey.
Frames colonial theology in the Caribbean as a form of witchcraft practice that bewitched Africans and later black colonial subjects, and discusses the continued impact of this bewitchment, namely in politics and anti-intellectualism in contemporary Black Pentecostal Church life, especially in the UK.
Faith and Sword gives a concise history of what has arguably been the longest conflict in human history - a conflict that continues, in a new form, to this day. The overtly religious Christian-Muslim struggle lasted for nearly thirteen centuries, and for most of that period the Muslims were in the ascendant.
Examines the role of the early Tudor Church and the impact it had in society. Amongst the areas covered are: the Higher Clergy; the Church and the Lay Power; the Lesser Clergy; the Regular Clergy; Canon Law and the people; the community of the parish; worship and preaching; and beliefs and values.
"One of the most readable and inspiring surveys of the development of the theology of the early Church is to be found in the introduction on faith, theology, and creeds in this volume.....Dr. Hardy here clearly interprests the scope of the vast, yet delicate, problem faced by the Fathers in the period of the Ecumenical Councils.
Presents an account of the relations between Islam and Christianity from Muhammad to the Reformation. This book argues that though there were trading and cultural interactions between Islam and Christianity during the period when Arabs controlled most of the Mediterranean world, neither side was remotely interested in the religion of the other.
Drawing on examples from surviving medieval churches in England, the author gives a voice to the secret graffiti artists from the lord of the manor and the parish priest to the people who built the church itself.
An assessment of the life and legacy of Dwight L. Moody, including evaluation of his theology, preaching, revivalist strategy, church music innovation, and global missionary work.