Enlightenment and Religion: Rational Dissent in Eighteenth-Century Britain

This book makes a comprehensive reassessment of the relationship between Enlightenment and religion in England. Recently, the debate about an ‘English’ Enlightenment has centred on the role of religion, especially the relationship between the established Anglican church and the dissenting confessions. It has long been accepted that liberal, rational dissenters developed an Enlightenment agenda, but most literature on this topic is quite out of date. These interdisciplinary essays provide a fresh analysis of rational dissent within English Enlightenment culture. Equally, they contribute to the current debate over eighteenth-century religion and its social, political and intellectual meaning, focussing on the Irish and Scottish contributions to English dissent. Its wide perspective and new research make Enlightenment and Religion an important and original contribution to eighteenth-century studies.