Early Modern English Catholicism by Kelly, James E.; Royal, Susan;

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Over recent decades the study of early modern English Catholicism has undergone a radical transformation. No longer regarded merely as a force of conservatism and reaction, scholars now emphasise the vitality and innovation that marked the changing fortunes of England’s Catholics during this turbulent period. Underlining and expanding upon these important themes, the essays in this volume offer a fascinating insight into the latest research that explicitly places English Catholicism in the context of the Counter-Reformation and the wider English Catholic diaspora. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, it includes contributions from those who approach the material from very different angles thus helping to further change perceptions of the subject, question perceived notions and present an overview of the subject as it currently stands. Divided into three sections, the first group of essays consider the ways in which an English Catholic identity was formed. The second section explores issues of memory in the English Catholic context, whilst the third cluster directly explores the phenomenon of early modern English Catholicism as more than a national concern, exploring its role as part of an international reform movement. Taken together these essays reveal the interlocking relationship between the key themes of identity, memory and Counter-Reformation, assessing the way they shaped English Catholicism, as well as demonstrating its the significance to national and European Counter-Reformation culture.