Quiet devotion on the margins. English Franciscan life across two centuries. Richard Trappes-Lomax's carefully assembled account traces the English Franciscan nuns (1619-1821) and the Friars Minor of the same province (1618-1761), bringing episodes of community, ritual and migration to light. It is serious scholarship without academic fog: clear, humane and attentive to the small facts that reveal larger patterns of belief and belonging. Trappes-Lomax arranges records and narrative so that institutional change and private devotion are visible in equal measure. The book draws on convent chronicles and contemporary records to chart how communities of monastic women in England negotiated exile, patronage and survival. Its focus ranges from local cloistered practice to the wider sweep of early modern catholicism, making it a distinctive contribution to franciscan order studies and to understanding the english catholic diaspora. Readers pursuing academic religious research will value its documentary orientation and chronological sweep; casual readers will find human stories of faith and duty that illuminate seventeenth century England. As a church history resource it offers substantial material for teaching, reference and further scholarship on historical religious communities. It recovers voices often sidelined in mainstream church narratives and emphasises the agency of sisters and friars within wider political and ecclesiastical change. The book's balanced prose and methodical approach to sources combine readable history with archival reference. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today - a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike. Suitable for university libraries, parish historians and private collectors, Trappes-Lomax's work marshals specialist franciscan scholarship in an accessible narrative. Those assembling a catholic nuns collection or exploring english convent chronicles will find a volume that rewards reading and study, a vital witness to faith, exile and community in early modern England. Both casual readers and classic-literature collectors will appreciate the readable scholarship and collector's appeal, while specialist researchers will welcome the book's documentary heft. It belongs on the shelves of anyone interested in catholic religious history and the lived realities of faith in early modern England.
Customer Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.