Going to Church in Medieval England

An engaging, richly illustrated account of parish churches and churchgoers in England, from the Anglo-Saxons to the mid-sixteenth century

Parish churches were at the heart of English religious and social life in the Middle Ages and the sixteenth century. In this comprehensive study, Nicholas Orme shows how they came into existence, who staffed them, and how their buildings were used. He explains who went to church, who did not attend, how people behaved there, and how they--not merely the clergy--affected how worship was staged.

The book provides an accessible account of what happened in the daily and weekly services, and how churches marked the seasons of Christmas, Lent, Easter, and summer. It describes how they celebrated the great events of life: birth, coming of age, and marriage, and gave comfort in sickness and death. A final chapter covers the English Reformation in the sixteenth century and shows how, alongside its changes, much that went on in parish churches remained as before.

Author: Nicholas Orme
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 08/02/2022
Pages: 496
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 7.80h x 5.04w x 1.34d
ISBN13: 9780300266436
ISBN10: 030026643X
BISAC Categories:
- History | Europe | Great Britain | Middle Ages (449-1066)
- History | Social History
- Religion | Christian Church | History

About the Author
Nicholas Orme is emeritus professor of History at Exeter University. He has written more than thirty books on the religious and social history of England, including Medieval Children, Medieval Schools, Medieval Pilgrimage, and The History of England's Cathedrals.