Description
The tensions between unity and diversity are at the heart of this important collection of over thirty original essays produced by scholars from several countries. Central to the discussions are crucial issues of the self-identity of the Church(es), and the ways in which competition between interpretations of the Christian message, and the relative priorities of religion and society, affect relationships within and between the various branches of the Church. With a chronological coverage extending from the fourth to the twentieth centuries, and a geographical scope ranging from the localism of Lancashire to the expanses of the Anglican communion, via Frankish Gaul, Switzerland, and various other locations, the diverse approaches nevertheless offer a coherent focus on a major theme in ecclesiastical history.
