Christianity and Community in the West

Simon Ditchfield, University of York, UK Simon Ditchfield, Peter Biller, Barrie Dobson, Colin Richmond, Ken Farnhill, Claire Cross, Eamon Duffy, Margaret Aston, Patrick Collinson, Ian Green, Peter Burke,, Adriano Prosperi, Jean-Louis Flandrin, Ludmilla Jordanova, William Sheils, Mary Heimann, Peter Jupp.

• Contents: Introduction, Simon Ditchfield; Cathar peacemaking, Peter Biller; Contrasting cults: St Cuthbert of Durham and St Thomas of Canterbury in the 15th century, Barrie Dobson; Three Suffolk pieces, Colin Richmond; Guilds, purgatory and the cult of saints: Westlake reconsidered, Ken Farnhill; A Yorkshire religious house and its hinterland: Monk Bretton Priory in the 16th century, Claire Cross; The conservative voice in the English Reformation, Eamon Duffy; Bibles to ballads: some pictorial migrations in the Reformation, Margaret Aston; Merry England on the ropes: the contested culture of the early modern town, Patrick Collinson; All people that on earth do dwell. Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice: Protestantism and music in early modern England, Ian Green; The Black Legend of the Jesuits: an essay in the history of social stereotypes, Peter Burke; An early Christian school of sanctity in Tridentine Rome, Simon Ditchfield; Science and the theological imagination in the 17th century: baptism and the origins of the individual, Adriano Prosperi; Observations on Christian feasts and their histories, Jean-Louis Flandrin; Richard Mead’s communities of belief in 18th-century London, Ludmilla Jordanova; Church, community and culture in rural England, 1850-1900: J. C. Atkinson in the parish of Danby in Cleveland, William Sheils; St Francis and modern English sentiment, Mary Heimann; John Bossy: a personal appreciation, Peter Jupp; Select bibliography of the writings of John Bossy, Ken Farnhill; Index.

'... it well repays dipping into, and is skilfully reflective of its subjects work, interests and personality. Ditchfield and his team have done a difficult job well.' Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte '... an exceptional collection of original essays, each one of a very high academic standard and together forming a fascinating study of the complex relationship between religion (...) and social change... The volume is excellent... It shows a genuine commitment to details and to fact... It should be read by all engaged in history or the study of Christianity as a concrete reality.' Colloquium 'In its rich development of the fundamental themes of Bossy's erudite corpus of historical scholarship, this volume is a worthy tribute to a brilliant historian.' Sixteenth Century Journal 'Most every historian of Christianity will find something of interest here... this book is a must.' Religious Studies Review '... valuable for understanding how communities functioned in real practice and over time.' Renaissance Quarterly 'This carefully edited volume is graced with a select bibliography of Bossy's writings and a personal reminiscence by Peter Jupp, a touch so often lacking in many bone-dry Festschriften aiming for scholarly immortality by entombing the recipient in the mausoleum of dessicated writing. There is deep learning and warm personal moments in this collection, which helps to illuminate a life of scholarship that continues to exert its wide influence.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History