The Church on its Past (Studies in Church History, Vol. 49), ed. Peter D. Clarke and Charlotte Methuen
Stefan Bauer
In 2011, the Ecclesiastical History Society celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and used occasion to devote two of regular conferences reflections on churches their past. This was not only theme conferences: in her presidential address, Sarah Foot also initiated a discussion about question why ‘numbers church historians have declined significantly during lifetime society’ (p. xviii) what could be done counteract this. She put this problem nutshell by asking whether ‘have lost plot’, that is, sense mission purpose 1). last five decades, number established chairs ecclesiastical history British universities has been reduced from ten two, with Cambridge Oxford holding out. puts forward some hypotheses as history, secular society, had become ‘marginal contemporary understanding history’ 2). suggests responded well challenges posed recent trends historiography. Social anthropology and, especially, post-modern approaches (which cast doubt over grand narratives) led turn attention towards cultural studies. By losing traditional interest institutional context, according Foot, much made it distinctive. The an institution dissolved into study aspects Christianity result, now ‘contributes less our spirituality devotion’ 16). prefers conventional field but hopes ‘religious turn’ intellectual literary will blow wind sails historians.
The English Historical Review