The Cambridge History of Christianity, Volume 7: Enlightenment, Reawakening and Revolution, 1660-1815

The Cambridge History of Christianity #7

by Stewart J. Brown (Editor), Timothy Tackett (Editor)

During the tumultuous period of world history from 1660 to 1815, three complex movements combined to bring a fundamental cultural reorientation to Europe and North America, and ultimately to the wider world. The Enlightenment transformed views of nature and of the human capacity to master nature. The religious reawakenings brought a revival of heart-felt, experiential Christianity. Finally revolution, the political and social upheavals of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, challenged established ideas of divine-right monarchies and divinely ordained social hierarchies, and promoted more democratic government, notions of human rights and religious toleration. A new religious climate emerged, in which people were more likely to look to their own feelings and experiences for the basis of their faith. During this same period, Christianity spread widely around the world as a result of colonialism and missions, and responded in diverse ways to its encounters with other cultures and religious traditions.

Genres: History, Religion, Church History, Christianity, Nonfiction, Reference

694 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 2007

About the author

Stewart J. Brown is Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Edinburgh. He has lectured widely in Europe, China, Australia, India, and the USA, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He served as co-editor of the Scottish Historical Review from 1993 to 1999. His publications include The Oxford Handbook of the Oxford Movement (2017), The Oxford Movement: Europe and the Wider World 1830-1930 (2014), and The National Churches of England, Ireland, and Scotland 1801-46 (2001).

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, broad history of Christianity during the long 18th century. Good consideration of Christianity in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, as well.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read: Châtellier, Louis, "Christianity and the Rise of Science, 1660-1815," Dale K. Van Kley, "Jansenism and the International Suppression of the Jesuits," and Suzanne Desan, "The French Revolution and Religion, 1795-1815."