Explores the changing piety of townspeople and villagers before, during, and after the Reformation. This work brings together scholars from England and the Netherlands to present research on a subject of importance to historians of society and religion in late medieval and early modern Europe.

This significant and innovative collection explores the changing piety of townspeople and villagers before, during, and after the Reformation. Focusing particularly on the county of Kent, it brings together leading and new scholars from England and the Netherlands to present new research on a subject of importance to historians of society and religion in late medieval and early modern Europe. Contributors examine the diverse evidence for transitions in piety and the processes of these changes and incorporate a range of approaches including social, cultural and religious history, literary and manuscript studies, social anthropology and archaeology.

'Each individual essay is well-researched, detailed, and thought-provoking: together, the connections and contrasts which are visible within a relatively defined geographical area give a much fuller picture of the variety and depth of pious practices across a time of religious upheaval.' Renaissance Quarterly '... detailed and thought-provoking essays... The chronological span of this volume is particularly useful, demonstrating the value of avoiding clear cut-off points between the late medieval and early modern periods.' Ecclesiastical History