Anti-Calvinist? : ceremonial conformity and Laudian writing, reconsidered (c. 1590-1640)

Abstract

In recent studies of religion in early modern England, scholars have come to the consensus that the religious identity of the Church of England was never quite as stable or uniform as commonly perceived, with a wide variety of religious beliefs and practices coexisting in practice and print. While a significant portion of work has been done exploring the various ranges of puritan thought, diminishing the restrictive stereotypes of the often-derogatory label, less work has been done on the Laudians, a group of English churchmen known for their ceremonial worship practices, often considered to be uniformly anti-Calvinist or anti-puritan, marked partially by their (exclusive) emphasis on external markers of worship. This dissertation examines a wide range of Laudian texts, most published between 1610 and 1633 across the genres of court sermons, private devotionals, polemics, and poetry, to explore the various nuances of Laudianism. It argues that, in practice and especially before William Laud became Archbishop of Canterbury, the religious ideology now called Laudianism was less exclusive and authoritarian than commonly assumed. Rather than target Calvinist critics to force conformity in gesture, sacramental and liturgical observance, Laudian writers seek to reform religious behavior amenably. While Laudians do emphasize external worship practices, these practices are informed by internal markers of piety, where the external shows of worship become meaningless if the worshippers' hearts and souls are not oriented to the worship and service they display with their bodies.