Description
Book SynopsisThis 2007 study shows how in the 1630s Thomas Wentworth, Archbishop Laud and Bishop Bramhall together embarked on an ambitious and highly controversial reconstruction of the Church of Ireland. It examines the course and eventual failure of reforms explicitly implemented as a model for the other Stuart kingdoms.
Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'McCafferty's analysis of the Irish Reformation is compelling, and the research underpinning it is impressive especially given the deficient state of the Irish ecclesiastical archives.' Journal of Ecclesiastical History
Review of the hardback: 'John McCafferty's industriously researched and judiciously argued monograph offers a powerful, wide-ranging, and compelling account of the Laudian reforms that is unlikely to be superseded. He is meticulous and imaginative in his use of surviving sources that are often either fragmentary or technically demanding. He combines this with a very thorough reading of the voluminous correspondence of the lord deputy, Thomas Wentworth; Archbishop William Laud; and, most of all, the agent who stood at the heart of the reform program, John Bramhall, bishop of Derry. All this helps McCafferty to create a fascinating and illuminating study of policy formulation and implementation that shows a thorough understanding both of the sometimes complex motivation of the policymakers and of the messy reality of their policies on the ground.' The Catholic Historical Review
Table of Contents1. Introduction; 2. The temporalities campaign, 1633–40; 3. The convocation of 1634 and its aftermath; 4. Mechanisms of reconstruction and the problem of dissent; 5. Downfall of the settlement, 1640–1; 6. Conclusion; Appendix: three letters; Bibliography; Index.
