The Godly and Their Neighbours: Puritanism and Religious Pluralism in Early Modern England

Abstract

This essay surveys the relationship between puritanism and religious pluralism between 1559 and 1642. It examines the contradictory instincts towards inclusion and exclusion that were central to its dynamic throughout this period, as well as the tension between its commitment to reforming the Church of England from within and the emphasis on social separatism that pulled it in the direction of congregationalism. It also explores puritan attitudes to popery, heresy, and unbelief and puritanism’s contribution towards critiques of persecution and calls for toleration and liberty of conscience in the mid seventeenth century. Its aim is to tease out some of the intriguing paradoxes of this religious movement and outlook.

Keywords

• puritanism
• pluralism
• inclusion
• exclusion
• persecution
• toleration