Death, Religion and the Family in England 1480 to 1750

VINTAGESTAN BOOKS
Title: Death, Religion and the Family in England 1480 to 1750  
Summary: Death, Religion and the Family in England 1480–1750 explores how ordinary English people understood and responded to death during a period of major religious, social, and cultural change from the late medieval era through the Reformation and into the early modern world. The study focuses on the interaction between evolving religious beliefs, family structures, and every day practices surrounding death.
The book shows that late medieval traditions emphasized collective salvation, prayers for the dead, and elaborate rituals that linked the living and the departed. With the Protestant Reformation, many of these beliefs—such as purgatory and intercessory prayer—were rejected. This shift transformed not only religious doctrine but also the emotional and social experience of death. Individuals were increasingly expected to prepare spiritually on their own, while families took on new roles in shaping moral behavior and memorializing the dead.
Across 1480–1750, the book argues that attitudes toward death became more individualized and domesticated. Funerary practices simplified; wills increasingly reflected moral and familial priorities; and households rather than churches became the primary arenas for spiritual preparation. Yet many “old” customs persisted, creating a blend of tradition and reform.
Overall, the work highlights how religion, family life, and community structures shaped people’s responses to mortality, and how these responses reveal broader cultural transformations in early modern England.
Author: Ralph Houlbrooke
Publisher: Clarendon Press. Oxford
Year Published: 1998
Edition: 1st Edition
Dimensions: 22cm x 14cm 
Binding type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780198217619
Notes: Previous owner inscription on front end sheet
SKU: VSS / 254 / H / 6819 / 5178
Condition 
Dust Jacket Condition: Very good. Handling marks, marks
Book condition: Very good. Handling marks, marks
Binding: Intact
Pages: 435 pages
 
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Postage weight: 900g
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From library of: From a privately owned library.
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