Christianity Under the Ancien Regime, 1648 1789

This is the first attempt to provide a concise, accessible and comprehensible account of Christian belief and practice between 1684 and 1789. Focusing on policy, it offers students a region-by-region guide to churches in Europe and presents them in their political, social and intellectual context.

Focusing on policy, rather than religious institutions, Professor Ward offers a brief, but comprehensive, account of religious belief and practice of all kinds in Europe between the Westphalia settlements in 1648 and the French Revolution. The book is organised around large regions, for instance, Central and Northwestern Europe (including Britain), Southern Europe and North and Eastern Europe. Professor Ward discusses the political, social and intellectual forces at play in each of these regions in order to allow the reader to understand changes in policy in their proper context. In addition, popular belief, which churches of all denominations regarded as suspicious, is presented in its context of traditional practice, and an attempt is made to assess the successes and failures of European domestic missions during this period. With its maps, glossary and guide to further reading, this will be a major aid to students of Christianity under the Ancien Regime.