Offers a concise synthesis of the valuable research accomplished in recent years which has transformed our view of religious belief and practice in pre-Reformation England. The author argues that the church was neither in a state of crisis, nor were its members clamouring for change, let alone `reformation' during the early years of Henry VIII's reign.

Christopher Harper-Bill

Part One: The Background.
1. The Western Church in the Later Middle Ages.

Part Two: Analysis.
2. The English Church, the Crown and the Papacy.
3. The English Bishops.
4. The Religious Orders.
5. The Parish Clergy.
6. The Church Courts and the English People.
7. Religious Belief and Practice.

Part Three:
8. The Popularity and Diversity of Late Medieval Religion.

Part Four: Documents.
Glossary.
Bibliography.
Index.