Reformation England 1480-1642

by Peter Marshall

Reformation England provides a clear and critical account of recent scholarly approaches, giving a reassessment of familiar debates and topics with introductions to newer historiographical concerns: religious life before the Reformation; the early evangelical movement; meanings of 'puritanism' and 'catholicism' in the later sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; the nature of religious 'conformity'; religious conflict and the advent of civil war.
 
The book addresses a problem whose ramifications are still with us: why the English became divided over religion, and why, despite the efforts of a succession of governments, those divisions could not be healed.

Genres: History, Christianity

256 pages, Paperback

Published June 27, 2003

About the author

Peter Marshall is Professor of History at the University of Warwick, with a particular interest in the study of religious belief and practice in sixteenth and seventeenth-century England and the cultural impact of the English Reformation. He has published widely in the field, including a survey of the period, Reformation England 1480-1642, and The Catholic Priesthood and the English Reformation, also published by Oxford University Press.

Reviews

[kaelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great critical introduction. And I say "critical" because Peter Marshall's book is about historiography just as much as it is about history. Indeed, he probably cites upwards of a hundred critical texts over the courses of these pages—highlighting academic controversies and outlining recent developments. Of course, this means that Reformation English: 1480-1642 will be of little interest to the layperson. But nonetheless, it's an impressive work of scholarship and an effective overview of a convoluted yet fascinating period of English history.

A brief caveat: Marshall's syntax is occasionally tangled and he has a tendency to introduce a historian or historical figure by last-name only, which suggests that this book was rather hastily put together. At the very least, it might have benefited from the eye of a more perspicuous editor.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

An overview of the religious ramifications of a tumultuous time in England's history. The author presents multiple views of each period which gives a balanced portrayal of "real" history, rather than relying on trite assumptions of the past. This is a great starting point for understanding the Reformation in England.

[Inwoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended in a books by Carl R. Trueman and J. V. Fesko. This work was critical for me in helping me put Perkins in his historical context. It was a pleasure reading this through.