Going to Church in Medieval England

Abstract

This book looks at churchgoing in the Middle Ages and in the Reformation period in England. The picture it presents is a detailed, structured narrative of developments over centuries, using a wide range of sources. The result is successful, shedding new light both on the medieval church and its Reformation successor. The results come as something of a surprise, with much greater continuity between the two periods than might have been expected. The range of materials and sources used in the volume is impressive – church buildings, wills, medieval devotional materials, Reformation Prayer Books, ecclesiastical Injunctions, legal art, sculpture, and manuscript decoration. The resulting synthesis presents a powerful picture of continuity and change in the English church.