The Diocesan Revival in the Church of England c.1800-1870
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
Published:15th Jul '99
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This book provides the first account of an important but neglected aspect of the history of the nineteenth-century Church of England: the reform of its diocesan structures. It illustrates how one of the most important institutions of Victorian England responded at a regional level to the pastoral challenge of a rapidly changing society. Providing a new perspective on the impact of both the Oxford Movement and the Ecclesiastical Commission on the Church, The Diocesan Revival in the Church of England shows that an appreciation of the dynamics of diocesan reform has implications for our understanding of secular as well as ecclesiastical reform in the early nineteenth century.
A highly significant re-interpretation of nineteenth-century Anglicanism. Burns has carried out formidably detailed and impressive research in initially unprepossessing territory ... He marshals this evidence to show convincingly that during the first two-thirds of the century there was a comprehensive revival and reorganization of diocesan institutions and a renewed clerical and lay consciousness of the diocese as an essential feature of Anglican church order ... His careful and lucid reconstruction of the complicated parliamentary debates and legislation on clerical discipline is a particular tour de force. All this material is set in a stimulating and innovative overall framework ... Burns's meticulous work provides a firm basis in evidence and interpretation for important new directions in the study of nineteenth-century English religion. * English Historical Review *
Burns has provided a strong case for his argument, and discussions of 'church reform' should not be the same in the future. * American Historical Review *
... balanced, well argued and incisive study. * Contemporary Review *
Dr Burns had provided an invaluable addition to the revisionist history of nineteenth-century religion, which will be useful reading for all who are interested in why the Church of England is as it is. * Theology *
Arthur Burns offers a major revision of accepted views of the revival of the Church of England in the period from 1800 to 1870 ... Burns's book is based upon exhaustive research ... and provides a new and significant perspective on the history of the nineteenth-century Church of England, of which all future historians of the period will have to take account. * Ecclesiastical History *
While others before ... have examined the revival of the rural deans, Burns offers the most thorough and compelling case for their centrality to the diocesan revival. * Anglican and Episcopal History *
The Diocesan Revival's central thesis persuades not only because of the clarity and vigor with which the author presents his argument but also because of the solid foundation of research upon which the argument is built. * Anglican and Episcopal History *
ISBN: 9780198207849
Dimensions: 224mm x 144mm x 24mm
Weight: 532g
360 pages