Routledge A Gathered Church - English Dissenting Literature

Explore the deep connection between nonconformist thought and English culture in A Gathered Church (Routledge Revivals): The Literature of the English Dissenting Interest, 1700-1930. Originally published in 1978, this scholarly study examines how dissenting voices shaped literature, religion, and politics over two centuries. This historical survey offers a reassessment of the nonconformist contribution to the English landscape. It moves beyond simple literary analysis to look at the broader impact of these voices on society. Readers can track the influence of major literary figures, including poets such as Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and William Blake, alongside influential novelists like Elizabeth Gaskell, George Eliot, Mark Rutherford, and D. H. Lawrence. By including important orators and religious thinkers, the text provides a wide-ranging view of how dissent influenced the written word and public discourse. This Routledge Revival edition is an essential resource for students and researchers studying the history of English literature and the evolution of religious and political thought from the eighteenth century through to the twentieth century.