Enlightenment and Religion Rational Dissent in Eighteenth-Century Britain [Paperback]

A wide-ranging collection of studies on Enlightenment and religion in eighteenth-century England.These interdisciplinary essays provide a fresh analysis of rational dissent within English Enlightenment culture from a variety of viewpoints. Its wide perspective and new research make this text an important and original contribution to eighteenth-century studies.These interdisciplinary essays provide a fresh analysis of rational dissent within English Enlightenment culture from a variety of viewpoints. Its wide perspective and new research make this text an important and original contribution to eighteenth-century studies.This book reassesses the relationship between Enlightenment and religion in England. It has long been accepted that liberal, rational dissenters developed an Enlightenment agenda, but most literature on this topic is out of date. These interdisciplinary essays provide a fresh analysis of rational dissent within English Enlightenment culture from a variety of viewpoints. Its wide perspective and new 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, 17701790 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 rightslÃÂ