Domestic religion in seventeenth century English Gentry Households
This research focuses on domestic religion: those activities through which everyday devotion and the worship of God were performed. It encompasses both the daily communal practices of family religion (prayer, psalm singing, catechising and sermon repetition) and the personal devotions of individuals (prayer, mediation and self-examination) in domestic space. It also considers the extraordinary religious practices of preparation for communion, days of fasting and humiliation, and the experience of sickness and death. The textuality of domestic religion is highlighted in a chapter on reading and writing. The published prescriptive advice is related to the reality of lived experience as revealed through the archives of seventeenth century families, most significantly those of the Harleys of Brampton Bryan in Herefordshire. Domestic religion was a highly complex contiguous cycle of enmeshed interrelated practices. The links were not only between domestic practices but also with public worship. A related theme challenges the supposed interiority of Protestant, and more particularly Puritan, piety, as it highlights the sociable nature of domestic religion. Domestic religion provides a useful lens throughout to explore
Counsell, Fiona Ann
BR Christianity ; DA Great Britain ; HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform
Domestic religion in seventeenth century English Gentry Households. This research focuses on domestic religion: those activities through which everyday devotion and the worship of God were performed. It encompasses both the daily communal practices of family religion (prayer, psalm singing, catechising and sermon repetition) and the personal devotions of individuals (prayer, mediation and self-examination) in domestic space. It also considers the extraordinary religious practices of preparation for communion, days of fasting and humiliation, and the experience of sickness and death. The textuality of domestic religion is highlighted in a chapter on reading and writing. The published prescriptive advice is related to the reality of lived experience as revealed through the archives of seventeenth century families, most significantly those of the Harleys of Brampton Bryan in Herefordshire. Domestic religion was a highly complex contiguous cycle of enmeshed interrelated practices. The links were not only between domestic practices but also with public worship. A related theme challenges the supposed interiority of Protestant, and more particularly Puritan, piety, as it highlights the sociable nature of domestic religion. Domestic religion provides a useful lens throughout to explore
domestic religion english gentry households focus domestic religion activity everyday devotion worship god perform encompasses daily communal practice family religion prayer psalm sermon repetition personal devotion individual prayer mediation self examination domestic_space also considers extraordinary religious_practice preparation communion day fast experience sickness death textuality domestic religion highlight read writing publish prescriptive advice relate reality live_experience reveal archive family significantly herefordshire domestic religion highly_complex contiguous cycle enmesh interrelated practice link domestic practice also public worship related theme challenge suppose protestant particularly puritan piety highlight nature domestic religion domestic religion provide_useful lens throughout explore