Puritan iconoclasm in England 1640-1660
A study of Puritan iconoclasm in England during the period of the civil wars and Interregnum, this thesis looks at the reasons for the resurgence of large-scale iconoclasm a hundred years after the break with Rome. Initially a reaction to the emphasis on ceremony and the 'beauty of holiness' under Archbishop Laud, the attack on recent 'innovations' introduced into the church (such as images, stained glass windows and communion rails) developed into a drive for further reformation led by the Long Parliament. Increasingly radical legislation targeted not just 'new popery', but pre-reformation survivals and a wide range of objects including some which had been acceptable to the Elizabethan and Jacobean church (for instance organs and vestments). Parallel to this official movement was an unofficial one, undertaken by Parliamentary soldiers during the war, whose iconoclastic violence, particularly against cathedral churches, became notorious. The significance of this spontaneous action and the importance of the anti-Catholic and anti-Episcopal feelings that it represented is examined. So too is the promotion of such feeling and of the cause of the reformation of images through printed literature (both popular and
Spraggon, Julie
Puritanism; Catholicism; Reformation
Puritan iconoclasm in England 1640-1660. A study of Puritan iconoclasm in England during the period of the civil wars and Interregnum, this thesis looks at the reasons for the resurgence of large-scale iconoclasm a hundred years after the break with Rome. Initially a reaction to the emphasis on ceremony and the 'beauty of holiness' under Archbishop Laud, the attack on recent 'innovations' introduced into the church (such as images, stained glass windows and communion rails) developed into a drive for further reformation led by the Long Parliament. Increasingly radical legislation targeted not just 'new popery', but pre-reformation survivals and a wide range of objects including some which had been acceptable to the Elizabethan and Jacobean church (for instance organs and vestments). Parallel to this official movement was an unofficial one, undertaken by Parliamentary soldiers during the war, whose iconoclastic violence, particularly against cathedral churches, became notorious. The significance of this spontaneous action and the importance of the anti-Catholic and anti-Episcopal feelings that it represented is examined. So too is the promotion of such feeling and of the cause of the reformation of images through printed literature (both popular and
puritan iconoclasm england study puritan iconoclasm england_period civil_war interregnum look reason resurgence large_scale iconoclasm break rome initially reaction emphasis ceremony beauty holiness archbishop laud attack recent introduce church image stain glass window communion rail develop drive reformation lead long parliament increasingly radical legislation target new pre_reformation survival wide_range object include acceptable elizabethan jacobean church instance parallel official movement unofficial undertaken parliamentary soldier war whose iconoclastic violence particularly cathedral church become notorious significance spontaneous action importance anti_catholic anti episcopal feeling represent examine promotion feeling cause reformation image print literature popular