The Politics of Religion in Restoration England

This book suggests that political life in Restoration England was not simply the space between the Reformation and the Glorious Revolution, but a distinctive period featuring the elements of the Reformation in a new guise. The essays included in the book examine the nature of politics during the Restoration. They explore not only activity at Whitehall and Westminster, but the rich political life in English civil society - from borough corporations to coffee-houses. The contributors consider the accepted view that religious conflict disappeared during Charles II's reign, and suggest that in fact religious politics continued to be an area of spirited and dangerous tension. In this collection of essays, the original theory that political matters of allegiance, authority and obedience were filtered through English protestantism is put forward.