Violence and Religion: Attitudes towards militancy in the French civil wars and the English Revolution

Religion and Violenceexamines a recurring theme in history, that of the conflict between religious faith and political and military action. In this volume, Judy Sproxton offers a detailed and fascinating reading of the writings of some of the major figures of the time including Calvin, Cromwell, Winstanley, and the poet Andrew Marvell. Looking at two periods of major political upheaval and civil unrest in the 16th and 17th centuries, the French civil wars and the English Revolution, she explores the notion of division between the self-interest of humanity and the will of God and how such attitudes towards religion and militancy were instrumental in prompting opposition to the rulers of the time.

Judy Sproxton is Lecturer in French at the University of Birmingham.