Early Modern British Religious History

Abstract

This article reviews the recent trajectories in the study of early modern British religious history, arguing that the modes of cultural history and the rejection of a teleological narrative have opened up new topics and rejuvenated perennial debates while putting older ones to rest. Consequently, a fuller understanding of the long reach and fundamental place of reform within British society has precipitated a “religious turn” within early modern British studies. The article ends with a look at two promising trends: the use of new types of primary sources and a wider geographical scope.