The Reformation in England (St Andrews Studies in Reformation History)

The centrality of Christian beliefs and practices surrounding sin and salvation was fundamentally reconfigured by the Reformation in early modern England. Remarkably little research has been conducted on how these essential ideas were transformed by the religious changes of the sixteenth century. Revisionist scholarship has highlighted the vitality of late-medieval English Christianity and the extent to which people remained committed to the practices of the Catholic Church, including those dealing with the mortification of sin and the promise of salvation. This has raised questions about how the Reformation itself was able to take root. While post-revisionist scholars have explored a wide range of religious beliefs and practices, there has been a surprising lack of engagement with the two central religious preoccupations of the vast majority of people.

To address this omission, this collection focuses on the history and theology of sin and salvation in Reformation and post-Reformation England. It explores their complex social and cultural constructions, underscoring how sin and salvation were not only great religious constants but also constantly evolving to survive in the rapidly transforming religious landscape of the Reformation. Drawing upon a range of disciplinary perspectives, including historical, theological, literary, and material/art-historical, the volume illuminates a subject central to the nature and success of the Reformation itself.

The collection is divided into four sections. Part I explores reformers' attempts to define and redefine the theological concepts of sin and salvation, while Part II examines the ways in which sin and salvation were contested: through confessional conflict, polemic, poetry, and martyrology. Part III focuses on the practical attempts of English divines to reform sin with respect to key religious practices, and Part IV explores the significance of sin and salvation in the lived experience of both clergy and laity.

Evenly balancing contributions by established academics in the field with cutting-edge contributions from junior researchers, this collection breaks new ground in what one historian of the period has referred to as the "social history of theology." It underlines how sin and salvation were not merely abstract theological notions but also deeply embedded in the social, cultural, and material fabric of early modern England.

The volume's examination of the complex and dynamic interplay between sin, salvation, and the Reformation offers valuable insights into the nature of religious change and the ways in which fundamental religious concepts were reconfigured and renegotiated in the tumultuous years of the sixteenth century. By shedding light on these central preoccupations of the vast majority of people, the collection makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the Reformation and its lasting impact on English society and culture.

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