Christianity and Revolutionary Europe, 1750-1830

Christianity and Revolutionary Europe, 1750-1830 provides a comprehensive and accessible summary of the role of the churches during this turbulent period in European history. How did the churches survive the political and intellectual challenges posed by the French Revolution, despite institutional upheaval and the widespread questioning of dogma and tradition? Nigel Aston answers this question by drawing on three decades of research, and argues that pre-Revolutionary Christianity had a vitality and resilience that should not be underestimated. Aston takes the story forward to 1830, dealing with both the immediate aftermath of the Revolution and its longer-term impact and offering comprehensive guidance to the complicated strands of change and continuity. The text is supported by illuminating illustrations, and a glossary of unfamiliar terms gives further help to the student reader. It will be of key interest to all those following courses on religious history and the French Revolution.

'Dr Aston's excellent study takes the form of a wide-ranging and concise survey of the fortunes of Christianity ... a highly authoritative and accessible analysis which will be of value to political, social and intellectual, as well as to ecclesiastical, historians.' History '... an excellent survey ... Nigel Aston's confident command of his material makes the book accessible for the student and general reader, for whom a useful glossary of technical terms is provided ... This is an outstandingly useful book for students and anyone wanting a broad account of Christianity in Europe c. 1750-1830.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History '... an accessible yet serious synthesis. Nigel Ashton has succeeded brilliantly. His presentation is concise and concentrated without being indigestible. His analyses are clear and trenchant, and backed up by a range of telling examples and data ... a praiseworthy achievement in a book with such a wide range, he draws his material even-handedly from across Europe, from Britain to Russia.' The European Legacy 'This ambitious book offers a comprehensive study ... Nigel Aston's scholarship is meticulous ... The unfussy style of the text is well suited to his task, and his judgements are invariably well-informed.' English Historical Review

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