Enlightenment and Religion
Rational Dissent in Eighteenth-Century Britain
Ideas in Context Series

This book makes a comprehensive reassessment of the relationship between Enlightenment and religion in England. 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that liberal, rational dissenters developed an Enlightenment agenda, but most literature on this topic is quite out of date.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 debate over eighteenth-century religion and its social, political and intellectual meaning, focusing on the Irish and Scottish contributions to English dissent. Its wide perspective and research make Enlightenment and Religion an important and original contribution to eighteenth-century studies.

List of contributors; Acknowledgements; 1. Enlightened Dissent: an introduction Knud Haakonssen; 2. The emergence of Rational Dissent R. K. Webb; 3. Rational Dissent in early eighteenth-century Ireland M. A. Stewart; 4. The Enlightenment, politics and providence: some Scottish and English comparisons Martin Fitzpatrick; 5. The contribution of the Dissenting academy to the emergence of Rational Dissent David L. Wykes; 6. 'A set of men powerful enough in many things': Rational Dissent and political opposition in England, 1770–1790 John Seed; 7. Law, lawyers and Rational Dissent Wilfrid Prest; 8. The nexus between theology and political doctrine in Church and Dissent A. M. C. Waterman; 9. Anglican latitudarianism, Rational Dissent and political radicalism in the late eighteenth century John Gascoigne; 10. The State as highwayman: from candour to rights Alan Saunders; 11. Priestley on politics, progress and moral theology Alan Tapper; 12. Rational piety R. K. Webb; 13. New Jerusalems: prophecy, Dissent and radical culture in England, 1786–1830 Iain McCalman; Index of names.