Islam is not the only religion that has sought to take political power, or believed that it should be possible to create a theocracy.
In the 17th century, Christians in the British Isles and North America attempted to follow the examples of 16th century European radicals of contrasting types, while attempting to learn from their mistakes – first in Scotland, and then Cromwell tried to impose just such a rule in the rest of the country.
At the same time, millenarian groups planned a religious, political and social revolution to usher in the return of Christ; while others argued for something akin to communism. And even after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, there were sects, such as the Quakers, whose faith had a radical impact on their politics. Nor is Christian political radicalism dead today – it has influenced politicians ever since, and can be seen in recent political developments in the USA in the twenty-first century.
This book is a fascinating study of the ideas and actions of these political radicals and the kind of societies and life experiences that produced them.
Inhoudsopgave
Contents
Acknowledgements ix
Timeline of key events x
Introduction xv
1. Roots of Radicalization 1
2. “The World Turned Upside Down!” 17
3. North of the Border: A Very Scottish Godly Rule 32
4. A Godly War? 49
5. Hunting Down the Enemies of God 65
6. The “Rule of the Saints” in Ireland 79
7. Social and Political Justice for the Common Man?
The Levellers 95
8. A Very English Kind of Communism: The Diggers 111
9. “God’s People Must Be a Bloody People!”
The Fifth Monarchy Men 123
10. Not Very Quiet Quakers! 139
11. Cromwell and the Rule of God 155
12. The End of the “Good Old Cause” 170
13. A New Jerusalem in the New World? 185
14. The Legacy of the Godly in Britain 202
15. The Legacy of the Godly in North America 215
Notes 227
About the author 243
Glossary 245