The Nonconformism Revolution explores the evolution of dissenting thought and how Nonconformity shaped the transformation of England from a rural to an urban, industrialized society. The foundations for the Industrial Revolution were in place from the late Middle Ages when the early development of manufacturing processes and changes in the structure of rural communities began to provide opportunities for economic and social advancement. Successive waves of Huguenot migrants and the influence of Northern European religious ideology also played an important role in this process. The Civil Wars would provide a catalyst for the dissemination of new ideas and help shape the emergence of a new English Protestantism and divergent dissident sects. The persecution which followed strengthened the Nonconformist cause, and for the early Quakers it intensified their unity and resilience, qualities which would prove to be invaluable for business. In the years following the Restoration, Nonconformist ideas fueled enlightened thought creating an environment for enterprise but also a desire for more radical change. Reformers seized on the plight of a working poor alienated by innovation and frustrated by false promises. The vision which was at first the spark for innovation would ignite revolution.

Christianity has, from its very beginnings and because of its beliefs and practices, had a paradoxical relationship to the world. This book, which contains articles by seven leading historians, argues that the relationship between the Nonconformist tradition in Britain and 'culture' provides a particularly illuminating example of this paradox. Nonconformists, set apart from the Established Church, developed their own particular cultural practices and in so doing made a distinctive contribution to the culture of Britain as a whole. At the same time, they were inevitably influenced by that wider culture. These essays consider the development of chapel and Dissenting culture within the wider society, examining such issues as the emergence of the Nonconformist conscience, the place of politics in the pulpit, the contribution of women writers to provincial Nonconformity and the architecture of the free churches. This collection of essays goes beyond the usual boundaries of denominational and ecclesiastical history and interacts with broader trends in cultural and social history to demonstrate the significance of such matters as gender relations, politics and economics in any exploration of the relationship between Christianity and 'the world.' --From publisher's description.