Kenneth Hylson-Smith – författare

Taking account of recent research and different historical perspectives, Kenneth Hylson-Smith traces the history of the churches in England from the reign of Elizabeth I to the present day.

The second of this three-volume history of the churches in England covers the period from the Glorious Revolution to 1833, the year which marks the beginning of the Oxford Movement. It stands as an independent work, but takes up the story from where the first volume finished, and leads on to the third, due to be published in 1998.Six themes help to give the book coherence and structure. The first is the way in which the English religious scene became increasingly complex with the emergence or consolidation of High Churchmanship, Evangelicalism and Liberalism within the Church of England; the transformation into Nonconformity; the emergence of new denominations such as Methodism, the Catholic Apostolic Church and the Brethren, and the transformation in the status and standing of Roman Catholicism. The second is the extent to which the churches were able to come to tams with unprecedented urbanization and industrialization. The third is the origin, development, character and effects of the Evangelical revival. The fourth is the extent to which theProtestants in England contributed to the growing sense of Britishness among the population. The fifth is the emergence of overseas missionary work. The sixth is the increasing importance of such rivals and enemies of orthodox Christianity as secularization, rationalism, radicalism, Unitarianism, Socinianism and atheism.

The third and final volume of this history, the first two of which have already earned considerable praise, seeks to provide a comprehensive narrative which bridges the divide between the Victorian age and the twentieth century. Dr Hylson-Smith has throughout identified a number of key themes to give coherence and unity to his magisterial work, The first is the transition from the monopolistic religious regime at the end of the fifteenth century to the complex multi-faith pluralism of our time. Then comes the transformation of the Church of England, from a national to an established church, and the increasingly significant development of parties within the Church of England. Next come the changing fortunes of Nonconformity and the metamorphosis of Roman Catholicism, not only in England but globally. Finally, themes particularly important for our age are the ecumenical movement, the place of women in the life of the churches, and the whole range of topics embraced by the term 'church and society'. Dr Hylson-Smith has written not only for fellow-scholars, teachers and students but also for anyone seeking a greater understanding and appreciation of the history of the English churches. All these will find him a fascinating and provocative guide.

This is the second of three volumes on the history of Christianity in England from Roman times to the Reformation. It covers the period from the Norman Conquest to the death of John Wycliffe. Although there has been much scholarly work in the last fifty years on Christianity in England during these crucial and most interesting centuries, this has mostly concentrated on specific and fairly circumscribed topics or quite narrow spans of time. There has been a paucity of works which attempt to describe and comment on the changing fortunes of Christianity in England in this mediaeval period as a whole; and none which takes account of recent scholarly work up to the end of the twentieth century. This is an opportune moment to fill a gap, and to provide a comprehensive and analytical overview of a pivotal age for the development of Christianity in England, which will be attractive and useful to students of history and theology, and also to clergy, ministers, and a much wider readership. KENNETH HYLSON-SMITH was until his recent retirement Bursar and Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford.

A comprehensive and balanced history of the Evangelicals in the Church of England.

A comprehensive and balanced history of the Evangelicals in the Church of England.