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Radical Religion in Cromwell's England: A Concise History from the English Civil War to the End of the Commonwealth. By Andrew Bradstock. I.B. Tauris, 234pp, Pounds 52.50 and Pounds 15.99. ISBN 9781845117641 and 7658. Published 14 February 2011
Arch-conservatives such as Lewis Namier and A.L. Rowse could never understand why other historians wasted their time on the patently obvious losers of history and the "lunatic fringe", rather than concentrating on the mainstream. Andrew Bradstock resists making false claims either for the original importance of the groups discussed here or for their legacy over time. But in this text, which is aimed at the general reader, he offers a compelling and accessibly presented case as to why they still matter and retain their relevance for today's debates on liberty and values.
Worth noting is that Bradstock writes as a professor of theology, not of history, and as one who was himself raised within a Particular Baptist family and church. This is a study, therefore, based on experience and not just "book learning" -...