Title: The Christian Monitors: The Church of England and the Age of Benevolence, 1680-1730
Abstract: The Christian Monitors: The Church of England and Age of Benevolence, 1680-1730. By Brent S. Sirota. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014, Pp. xiii, 360. $65.00.)In 1728 William Hogarth finished painting he called the Sleeping Congregation. In it frowsily-wigged minister holds forth on text from Matthew 11.28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. The clergyman seems not to notice that his flock has taken Gospel rather too literally: everyone sleeps soundly through sermon-except for parish clerk, who takes opportunity to ogle cleavage of drowsing young parishioner. This somnolent scene often comes to mind when thinking of eighteenth century Church of England, but Brent Sirota's excellent book shows that Hogarth notwithstanding there was great deal of life in late Stuart and early Georgian Anglicanism.Sirota's subject is what he describes as Anglican revival, a development of enormous social, political, and cultural resonance that shaped contours of English church, state, and civil society in eighteenth century and beyond (2). This revival flourished in variety of ways, through establishment of charity schools, church building, missionary work, campaigns for moral improvement, and voluntary organizations such as Society for Propagation of Gospel in Foreign Parts (SPG) and Society for Promotion of Christian Knowledge (SPCK). Hogarth's congregants might have been sleeping, but many eighteenth century Anglicans were wide awake. Sirota traces roots of Anglican revival to Restoration, when national church, fearing challenge of dissent, pursued twofold strategy: vigorous persecution palliated by renewed and very effective emphasis upon practical divinity, living. While author demonstrates that persecution under Charles II was mostly ineffective, he also shows that churchmen emphasizing holy living had an important impact, showing way for revival that would blossom in 1690s and beyond.The book's first chapter examines church's late seventeenth century campaign against dissenters-and profound impact made by James II's assault on established church. James was not, Sirota argues, simply interested in levelling playing field for Catholics and dissenters. He was hostile to towards Church of England and he actively undermined it throughout his reign. Faced with unpalatable choice of saving church or King James, by 1688 most clergy stood with church-to king's great surprise. For brief moment, Anglican clergy, high and low, united in opposition to crown. But as book's later chapters show, unity that forced James into his French exile did not last. England's new sovereigns-particularly Queen Mary-took up cause of Anglican revival, lending their support to movement for moral reform. …
Publication Year: 2015
Publication Date: 2015-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
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