This thesis investigates popular religion in Essex during the English Reformation, and it assesses whether revisionist arguments that the Reformation was generally unwanted and was slow to take root apply there. Various sources, such as wills, churchwardens' accounts and court records, have been examined. These reveal that popular piety was strong on the eve of the Reformation, and that Lollardy influenced only a minority. Most people acquiesced to the changes in religious practice and church decor demanded by the Henrician and Edwardian governments, but this was due mainly to obedience and coercion, not conversion to the new teachings. By Edward's death there was a minority of convinced Protestants in Essex, mainly in the North of the county and along the Thames. For the majority, however, the result of the changes was uncertainty and confusion in religious matters. Victims of this unease included religious drama and the Church's sponsorship of popular festivals; both had been widespread throughout the early sixteenth century, but were severely curtailed by the mid-1540s. Mary attempted to restore Catholicism, and traditional piety did revive slightly during her reign, whilst traditional decor reappeared in Essex churches under the authorities' supervision; her reign also occasioned the death or exile of dozens of Essex Protestants. However, relatively few were committed to either set of doctrines, and confusion remained in matters pertaining to religion. During the early Elizabethan period traditional piety and decor mostly disappeared, but while the majority continued to exhibit Christian beliefs and principles, few were doctrinally Protestants. In addition, the environment which had allowed communities to put on plays in earlier decades continued to disappear, and an Elizabethan revival of communal religious drama failed. Thus by 1570 the old order was mostly destroyed, but the Protestant alternative still needed to be disseminated amongst the masses.

This thesis explores the lives and social interactions of Quaker women in the British Isles and American colonies between c.1650 and c.1750. The radical behaviour of women in the early years of Quakerism has been heavily researched. Historians, however, fail to give sufficient credit to those women who did not travel and preach as a way of life, but who used Quaker values and beliefs to organise their daily lives and give meaning to their experiences. This thesis offers a more accurate and comprehensive picture of early Quakerism, by examining how both ministering and non-itinerant women’s identities were redefined as a result of their Quaker membership. The chapters are structured around the relationships that women developed both within and without the Quaker community with the lens of focus shifting outwards from the family, to the local meeting system, then to the connections and friendships that Quaker women formed with other members of the Society, and finally, to their relationship with the non-Quaker world. In arguing that Quaker women’s domestic identities helped shape both their ministerial careers and the wider outlook of the movement, it counters the view that the originality of Quakerism stemmed from women’s ability to transcend their gender. Domesticity has greater historical dimensions than previously imagined, and the thesis shows how the private domain of the household could become entwined in the public concerns of the movement. The period under discussion was one of enormous change in terms of how Friends were viewed and understood in wider society. It was also dramatically altered by the establishment of Quaker communities within the American colonies, especially in Pennsylvania. Utilising a broad source base within a transatlantic context, which includes correspondence, official epistles, Meeting minutes, and spiritual autobiographies, the thesis maps how women contributed to a ‘cultural exchange’ through their work within both the ‘whole family and Household of faith’ and early modern society more generally.

This study was set within the context of Catholic Education in Scotland; a context that holds a unique historic position, operating within the state education system. It investigated and explored the faith development experiences of Catholic teachers as they progressed from their initial teacher education programme through to full registration as qualified professionals, incorporating a one-year probationary period. A smaller comparative study was undertaken to add value to the theory that emerged from the main study. The research was phenomenological in nature and the qualitative research strategy adopted throughout was that of grounded theory, where the researcher used methods which allowed theory to emerge from the data. Data collection and analysis took place over a three-year period and the application of constant comparative analysis was implemented, where concepts were explored and their relationships investigated. Based on their own personal narratives, the development of participants’ faith was recorded during four key data collection and analysis stages which were given the titles, Considering the journey ahead, From theory to practice, Socialisation: finding a voice and The Catholic teacher: authentic witness to faith. Two faith development contexts were identified to enable Catholic teachers to be authentic and authoritative witnesses to their faith––concepts of self-realisation that aligned very much with the expectations of the Catholic Church. The first is the requirement to develop the teacher’s knowledge and understanding of the Catholic tradition and the second, the ability to teach in an explicit and proactive faith environment where, through its leadership and overall culture, this has the potential to significantly impact upon an individual’s faith. The study raises important questions surrounding the ongoing faith development of the Catholic teacher within the context of continuing professional development, given its unique position within the state system in Scotland.

In the late 1780s there arose a theological controversy in Ayrshire, centred around the Rev William McGill (1732-1807), the associate minister to William Dalrymple (1723-1814) of the Old Kirk in Ayr. McGill was principally accused of holding ‘Socinian’ views, particularly in his Practical Essay on the Death of Jesus Christ (1786) which were at odds with the accepted standards of his church, a church which still retained a mainly Calvinistic outlook in the period. The Aim of this thesis Within this thesis I will attempt to place McGill firmly within the context of his day. This will be done by offering a picture of the Scottish, English and Irish ecclesiastical scene, with particular reference to Scotland, in which the Ayr minister was working. Further consideration will be given to the impact of the Enlightenment, as well as the American and French Revolutions, in the latter part of the century. The response of the various churches in Britain to these events are of particular importance for McGill’s career as, in his final published work On the fear of God (Ayr, 1795), the theological ‘radical’ emerges as a political conservative. What has perhaps been lacking in previous assessments of McGill is a study of the full range of influences which drove the Ayr minister’s theology. By utilising the evidence offered by the ‘Ayr Library Society’ (which held the works of noted English Socinians) of which McGill, along with Dalrymple, was a founder member in 1762, I will attempt to trace some of the main sources for McGill’s later thought. Of key significance is the holding of works by the Society of several leading English Socinians. Although speculative (as McGill does not directly cite these works), based on the evidence there does appear to be parallels between McGill’s work and that of the English theologians. I will also assess, in addition to considering why McGill’s work proved contentious, the reasons for his ‘apology’, following the case. Additionally it will be important to re-examine the overall effect of the case, in order to fully appreciate the significance of McGill for the wider Scottish churches of his day.

This thesis contributes originally to pentecostal historiography through bringing a pre-eminent figure in early British Pentecostalism into the limelight showing how Pentecostalism in Belgian Congo was pioneered by him alongside local agency. Together they furthered its development in the southeastern Katanga and Kasai provinces. Central to W.F.P. Burton’s contradictory and complex personality was a passionate desire to see the emancipation of humankind from the spiritual powers of darkness believing only Spirit-empowered local agency would enduringly prove effective. This thesis unevenly portrays Burton’s Congolese years by parsing biographical landmarks alongside his persistent attempts to co-labour with local agency. Burton’s ambitions might have been circumscribed by his birth into a notable family. Burton though, lived with a faith which believed for Spirit intervention in church communities converting lives, bringing physical healing and transforming regions. In the maelstrom following Congolese Independence, Burton’s belief in his own brand of indigenisation made him an outlier even among Pentecostals. This thesis argues such pentecostal faith engendered an idealism which frustratingly conflicted with those not sharing it in the way he understood and pursued it. It thus serves Pentecostals (holding a similar faith) and historians by clarifying his ideals and revealing the reasons for his frustrations.

Over the years, Christian historiography has overlooked Carrie Judd Montgomery’s (1858-1946) significant contribution to both the Divine Healing movement and Pentecostalism. Her 1879 healing account, early healing homes, and contribution to the formation of the doctrine of healing in the atonement make her one of the most influential people in the American Divine Healing movement. Following her 1908 tongues experience, Montgomery additionally impacted early Pentecostalism by spreading its themes throughout her networks and introducing many significant leaders to the Pentecostal Spirit baptism. An analysis of Montgomery’s writings from 1880-1920 reveal that the prayer of faith in James 5 and healing in the atonement were two of the major foundations in her theology of healing. Further, her pneumatology reveals that she actively pursued the fullness of the Spirit, also at times referred to as “Spirit baptism,” both before and after her own 1908 tongues experience. While speaking in tongues enhanced her spirituality and added a new flavor to her ministry, it did not produce any major shifts within her theology of healing. In light of her experiences with the Spirit throughout the years, a present day approach for revivals and a proposed redefinition of the Pentecostal Spirit baptism are presented.

Using a collaborative action research methodology and a liberation theology approach, the thesis draws on the psychology of anorexia, the insights of Isaiah 58:1-12 and its socio-religious setting, the contextual setting of the Parish Church and the community of Moreton, to develop new insights into the breakdown and restoration of community. It devises what it terms “diagnostic theology” to aid in the understanding of complex forces acting on communities and individuals. Developing from a grassroots exegesis, the signs and symptoms of both breakdown and restoration are clearly delineated, always with a view to celebration, in the knowledge that full restoration can never be achieved. It is posited both that this work will be of value to other communities of faith, and that the methodology can be applied in other situations.

Christianity has seen phenomenal growth in sub-Saharan Africa and African churches in the West have also grown rapidly in the last few decades. The majority of members in these churches in the West are migrants and their children. In Britain, these migrant churches represent a vibrant form of Christianity with regard to their visibility and prominence. Considering the challenges these migrants’ churches face in their efforts to evangelise the host community, most migrant members use the churches as the platform for their own expression of personhood, faith and mission. Internal strategies are designed and implemented by the churches to assist members to integrate into the wider society. These strategies otherwise referred to as micro-integration strategies concentrate on preparing the members for living in the communities they reside in. It is argued that these internal strategies determine the level of contextualisation of beliefs and praxis in the host communities, thus creating a new identity that is a combination of Ghanaian and British values. The study has explored how the internal integration strategies and the contextualisation of the Ghanaian migrants’ faith determine the extent to which the churches assume a transnational status in their outlook and the expression of their faith.

Previous approaches to colonial New Jersey Quaker tailor, John Woolman (1720-1772), have failed to address the centrality of theology to his social reforms. This thesis comprises an original contribution to Woolman studies and 18th century Quaker theology through a demonstration of a heretofore unrecognised apocalyptic theology which encompassed a practical and comprehensive vision of God's kingdom on earth. Based on an analysis of Woolman's entire body of writing, this thesis argues that Woolman's theology is best understood as apocalyptic because it was centred on a vision of Christ's immediate presence governing all aspects of human affairs. Woolman's apocalypticism is analysed around three main theological themes: divine revelation, propheticism and eschatology. These themes are evident in Woolman's belief that, 1) God intervened in world affairs to reveal God's will for humanity on earth in a way unavailable to the senses and natural faculties; 2) God's will made claims on society and God commissioned human agents to confront apostasy and be God's spokespeople; and, 3) the faithful embodied the kingdom and pointed to the transformation of all things to establish the 'government of Christ'.

Pentecostal and charismatic expressions of Christian faith among Christian Brethren churches of northern Tanzania are the focus of this study. By tracing the historical developments of the Open Brethren and Pentecostal Movements, the work highlights similarities and distinctives which continue in the present to shape a new rising African Christianity that has been defined as 'pentecostal evangelicalism'. Historical origins in mission endeavour shed light on the indigenous development of these Charismatic Brethren and Pentecostal Evangelicals. This new expression of faith is shown to be well adjusted to an African religious and cultural milieu in the given Tanzanian context. It is not denominationally situated but rather bears the marks of revivalist movements. The study incorporates an analysis of opinions expressed by Tanzanians through use of a Q Method survey and thereby attempts to define 'pentecostal evangelicalism'. The thesis concludes by pointing to shema and shalom as theological nodes which describe these charismatic Brethren and suggests their understanding may have value beyond the shores of the African continent.