ABSTRACT
This chapter deals loosely with early modern ecclesiastical sources: that is, sources relating to or generated by the Church. At first glance this might seem like quite a narrow topic; however, both religion and the Church were intimately involved in almost every aspect of early modern life. Two things may therefore be observed about early modern ecclesiastical sources at the outset. First, the boundaries of the category are artificial and porous. Is an Act of Parliament regarding the Church a religious document, or a political one? Is an individual’s last will and testament an ecclesiastical source, a personal document or a legal instrument? Even attempting to categorize sources according to the individual or institution generating them is problematic. When the King is also Supreme Head of the Church, are his instructions for how that Church should be run given by him in a temporal (earthly) or sacred (religious) capacity? Is everything written by a clergyman automatically an ‘ecclesiastical’ source? This chapter will not attempt to provide neat answers to these questions, but I would like to suggest that they raise some interesting issues for consideration. Second, the breadth of influence of the Church in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres, as well as the religious, means that ‘ecclesiastical’ sources can reveal a huge amount about early modern life in general, not just the Church itself. A good deal of this chapter will explore the ability of ecclesiastical sources to shed light on early modern religion and religious change, but where appropriate it will also highlight areas where these sources can be used in other interesting and unexpected ways. If this chapter aims to do anything, it is to demonstrate beyond doubt that nobody should be put off by words like ‘ecclesiastical’, ‘Church’ or ‘religion’. This is a diverse, rich and fascinating seam of historical evidence, and there is something here for everybody.
