Archbishop William Laud : the failure of religious reform during the Caroline period, 2003

Item — Call Number: MU Thesis Gam

Identifier: b2088453

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

From the Collection:

The collection consists of theses written by students enrolled in the Monmouth University graduate History program. The holdings are bound print documents that were submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the Master of Arts degree.

From the Collection:

During the fall 2022 semester (in instances where the requisite waivers were received from consenting student authors), the Monmouth University Library, together with the University's Graduate School and Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences, began providing open access to select full-text digital versions of current theses and dissertations through links to the ProQuest Dissertations Publishing website in the Library's Online Public Access Catalog. Links to these open access digital publications can also be found in the "External Documents" section under any conforming titles that are listed among the holdings itemized in the collection inventory for this finding aid.

Dates

Creation: 2003

Creator

Gambarony, Anthony R., Jr. (1965- ) (Author, Person)
Campbell, Kenneth L. (Thesis advisor, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use. Access is by appointment only.

Access to the collection is confined to the Monmouth University Library and is subject to patron policies approved by the Monmouth University Library.

Collection holdings may not be borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Research appointments are scheduled by the Monmouth University Library Archives Collections Manager (723-923-4526). A minimum of three days advance notice is required to arrange a research appointment for access to the collection.

Patrons must complete a Researcher Registration Form and provide appropriate identification to gain access to the collection holdings. Copies of these documents will be kept on file at the Monmouth University Library.

Extent

1 Items (print book) : 101 pages. ; 8.5 x 11.0 inches (28 cm).

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Introduction [excerpts]

I have chosen to write about William Laud because I believe a revaluation of his career is in order. I do not intend this discussion to be an apology for Laud's career or a justification of his actions....

I have found that Laud is given too much criticism for religious reform during the [Caroline] period.... This thesis will also demonstrate that Laud was not as tyrannical as generally believed....

In order to guide my discussion I formulated several questions that I believe get to the heart of Laud's ill-fated tenure as Archbishop:

Did Laud and Charles [I] share the same vision of the English Church and if so must they also ultimately share the blame for the failure of their reforms?...

Was Laud a bad politician who failed to see the repurcussions of his actions?...

Did Laud ever really triumph over his opposition? ...

Was Laud's power waning before the Long Parliament?...

Was Laud a scapegoat?...

This discussion will focus on the aspects of Laud's career that I believe had the greatest impact on English history. Therefore many aspects of Laud's long career will not be discussed....

I have broken my discussion down to four major parts. The opening chapter deals briefly with Laud's early career, his personality and some of the major issues the English church faced. The primary focus of the chapter will be the relationship between Charles and Laud, the views that the king and archbishop shared, and their relationship with Parliament.

The second chapter deals with the Laudian reforms themselves. It will cover Laud's support of a strong episcopacy, his passion for uniformity throughout Charles's dominions, and how he attempted to utilize his bishops to carry out his reforms. It will deal with two of the most controversial issues of the time, the placement of Communion tables in churches and the Book of Sports. The final part of this chapter will discuss Laud's attempt to stifle opposing viewpoints through the use of censorship and the courts, most notably [the] Court of High Commission and the Court of Star Chamber.

The third section will explore the opposition to Laudian reform. This will include both the Catholic opposition and the more significant Puritan opposition. Within the Puritan camp was his greatest adversary, William Prynne. This section will also discuss his more political rivals, such as Francis Cottington and Bishop John Williams. The concluding part of the chapter will deal with the opposition to the Laudian prayer book in Scotland.

The final chapter addresses the destruction of Laud's reforms and ultimately his own downfall. The growing crisis in Scotland mandated a parliament because Charles needed subsidies to pay for military action. Ultimately the Long Parliament ended the personal rule and foundation of Laud's power. This last section will deal with the systematic legal destruction of Laudianism.