Customer Reviews (5)

Comprehensive and Good
This is a long book and might not be the first choice for someone unless it is required reading for a class.However, I found it to be organized very well and give a great overview and summary throughout the entire history of the Church of England.Excellant!

Long story told in detail
I learned a lot from reading this book, which is actually a seminary text. The prose is somewhat pedantic at times, but still readable. It is a good history of Christanity in England and surrounding lands. I learned a lot about the balance between church and state, and how Angicanism has gotten to the point that it has. I would recommend it for anyone interesting in the history of England as it is more than just a text about the Church in England. For Episcopalians, it helps in an understanding of the current crisis in the Anglican community.

An excellent survey
The text, 'A History of the Church in England', by J.R.H. Moorman, is one of the important works of Anglican history of this generation.There aren't many one-volume treatments of the whole of Anglican history; while Anglicans as a rule give a good amount of attention and authority to history (the second of the three pillars of Anglicanism - Scripture, Tradition, and Reason - has much to do with history), it is surprising perhaps that this book is rare in nature.

As Moorman writes in the preface to the first edition, 'It is notoriously difficult to pour a gallon of water into a pint pot.'Moorman doesn't simply treat the period of time from Henry VIII to the present, a five-hundred year span that is also difficult to encompass in a single volume; he examines the history of the church IN England from the earliest Christian presence to the present time.Perhaps this explains the title more fully - this is not so much a history of the institution of the Church of England, but rather an exploration of the church as it continues from its earliest times to its current expression.

Moorman concedes that his is not an unbiased reporter - indeed, such a creature is unlikely to be found, particularly among those for whom English and England are native aspects.Moorman states that 'impartial history would be very dull', and thus makes no such pretension.He is one who does not see the Church of England as being created by Henry VIII, but rather sees the church in England (of which the Church of England is the primary institutional successor) as a continuous entity.

Moorman's text is an interesting read, but a bit dry by the standards of today's historical writing.I can tell by comparison to other works of the 1950s and 1960s (when the principal text was assembled) that this would have been an innovation in terms of accessibility and resistance to stodgy history (the kind that comes in dusty tomes residing on library shelves, doomed to never be read), but today reads as being a bit archaic at times.As every history is necessarily selective, this one suffers a time or two in the kinds of details left out, but generally hits all of the major events and issues of the development of Anglicanism in England, particularly from the Elizabethan time forward to the early part of the twentieth century.

One of the flaws of the book is that it does not take into account the increasingly global nature of the Anglican Communion over time.Moorman treats this only briefly in a few sections (four pages in one chapter, six pages in another).Moorman also only briefly touches on intercommunion and ecumenical actions, which are increasingly important in today's society (when he writes about other churches, it is overwhelmingly about the Roman Catholic church that he is writing).

However, Moorman is an excellent text for the topic its focus.It is well documented (nearly 800 other works are referenced here), has an excellent index (24 pages of small print), and a good table of contents with chapter annotations.

This is a must-read text for any Anglican, or any student of the history and culture of England.

One of the most readable, understandable history books ever.
I had to read the second half of this book for a class assignment.I found it so helpful, understandable, and enjoyable that I went back and read the first half as well, even though I could not spare the time.

Thisis an excellent summary of the development of the Church and much of theculture on the island we now know as England from Roman times to the 20thcentury.

Best history of the Church of England
This is the best book I have found on the history of the English Reformation and of the Church of England through the middle of the 20th C.I have read it twice and still refer to it often.It's definitely worthowning if you have any interest in this area. ... Read more

Book Description
1717. This work was drawn from antiquity; the light of nature; Holy Scripture; its noble nature; and from the dignity divine providence has put upon it. The Constitution of the New England churches as settled by their platform, may be fairly justified, from antiquity, the light of nature, Holy Scripture, and from the noble and excellent nature of the Constitution itself. And lastly from the providence of God dignifying it. Due to the age of the original we reproduced, some pages may be spotty or faded. Written in Old English. ... Read more

Book Description
Parish churches are England's glory. They enshrine the history of a people-their art, architecture, and faith. As public monuments, they house a gallery of vernacular art, from different periods and in a wide range of styles, that are without equal in the world. Award-winning English journalist Simon Jenkins has traveled the length and breadth of England to select his thousand best churches. Each entry is prefaced by a map locating the church and illustrated with full-color photographs from the Country Life Archive. Organized by county, each church is described, often with delightful asides, and is given a star rating from one to five, with the four- and five-star churches listed as the "hundred best." This complete guide is invaluable for anyone interested in touring England's best churches. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A good historico-geographic travelogue.
The historical background is good; very helpful as a travelogue. Author should have lessen his personal architectural taste. Splendid photos, specially the details. Good general information; but not so helpful for my purpose of getting ideas in designing small chapels.

1,000 Best Churches is the Best
This is a well-written and well-organized compendium of interesting churches throughout England.Useful for the those looking for the road less traveled (by other tourists.)

Not for the faint of heart!
This is an absolutely fascinating book that is indespensable if you are touring around England and want to see some amazingly lovely off-the-beaten-track places.

Mr. Jenkins has compiled a listing of one thousand churches throughout England that he feels are worth seeing.Each church is given a description, including a specific reason why it ranks among the top thousand.There is such a splendidly wide array of reasons: from architectural details, to unique contruction tecniques, to interesting historical context, that it never gets dull.

My parents are taking the book quite seriously, and are trying to visit each of the churches (I think they are a quarter of the way through, and their copy of this book is alrady completely covered with marginalia!).I have visited several of the churches with them, and always find the experience enlightening and interesting.Each church truly is unique, and it is always fascinating to see how.

Since the publication of the book, many of the churches that are on the list have taken an active interest in their own history.When my parents first started touring the churches, they were usually met by blank stares and a "why on earth do you care about our little church?" from the locals... but a few years later they find that frequently the whole community has rallied around the idea that they had an undiscovered treasure in their midst, and something to be quite proud of.For that reason alone, I think it's a great book.

Lovely, but could have been better.
In this book, Jenkins describes his choice of the thousand best churches in England. Churches range from tiny, rural chapels notable for their remote, dramatic settings, to grand and majestic churches. (Cathedrals, however, are not covered, only parish churches.) He also rates the churches from one star through 5 stars.
The descriptions are generally full and compelling. However, I took off one starfrom my rating, because, for the armchair traveller, more pictures would have been welcome. (How frustrating to read about glorious stained glass windows, and have no idea what they actually look like!) Only about one in 10 churches is illustrated with either an interior or exterior photo.

What an inspiration!
For those interested in knowing more about England's wonderful parish churches, this book is a must.Organized by county, the book should prove useful for travellers like me who fall victim to every village spire.I appreciated both his wit and knowledge about the subject. ... Read more

Book Description
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Book Description
The relationship between church and state, indeed between religion and politics, has been one of the most significant themes in early modern English history. While scores of specialized studies have greatly advanced scholars' understanding of particular aspects of this period, there is no
general overview that takes into account current scholarship.This volume discharges that task.Solt seeks to provide the main contours of church-state connections in England from 1509 to 1640 through a selective narration of events interspersed with interpretive summaries.Since World War II,
social and economic explanations have dominated the interpretation of events in Tudor and early Stuart England.While these explanations continue to be influential, religious and political explanations have once again come to the fore. Drawing extensively from both primary and secondary sources,
Solt provides a scholarly synthesis that combines the findings of earlier research with the more recent emphasis on the impact of religion on political events and vice versa. ... Read more

Book Description
Despite the importance of Evangelism, the history of the Evangelicals in the Church of England has been the subject of no extensive study since G.R. Balleine's classic work of 1908. Incorporating subsequent research, and bringing to bear the most modern scholarly disciplines, Dr Hylson Smith has now provided an up-to-date, comprehensive and perceptive account of the Evangelical movement from the time of the Wesleys and Whitefield to the present day.Kenneth Hylson-Smith has doctoral degrees from Leicester and London. He is Bursar and Fellow of St. Cross College, Oxford. ... Read more

Book Description
This book offers a fresh interpretation of the relationship between the church, society and religion across five centuries of change. Andrew Brown examines how the teachings of an increasingly universal Church were applied at a local level and how social change shaped the religious practices of the laity. His approach encompasses the structures of corporate religion, the devotional practices surrounding cults and saints, the effects of literacy (not least on the development of heresy), and how gender, class and political power affected and fragmented the expression of religion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very helpful
this book is an excellent textbook for anyone just getting into the subject area. Good for students and quick exam revision. i found it most helpful. ... Read more