Defenders of the Faiths: Christian Society in Early Modern England, 1485-1688

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course explores the history of Christian civilization in early modern England. As Americans, we are accustomed to taking the separation of church and state for granted, circumscribing religion within the sphere of conscience. For early modern Englishmen, however, the relationship between political and ecclesiastical authority was not so clear, and the establishment of a church sanctioned and even directed by the government was a viable option, as the survival of the Church of England to our modern day attests. That being said, key questions about Christianity and politics – the sources of religious authority, the right of monarchy over the church, and the toleration of longstanding institutions and pious practices, to name just a few – arose and received different answers in early modern England, answers which would shape British society (and therefore our own) for centuries to come. Beginning with the ascension of Henry Tudor to the throne in 1485 and concluding with the Glorious Revolution of 1688, we will track the transformations of English Christianity in its political, cultural, and intellectual forms throughout this early modern period. This exploration will not only grant insight into a world quite different from our own, but will also elucidate developments that have determined our understanding of religion and society to this day.