ABSTRACT
The previous chapter has explained why Protestantism is especially prone to fragmentation. This chapter and the next will argue the often overlooked point that the fragmentation of Protestantism was an important element in the rise of religious toleration. To introduce the argument before the evidence required to support it, I wish to demonstrate that the destination of religious toleration could be arrived at via three related routes – dissent, establishment, and modern democracy – and that the first serious steps on the journey were largely unintended.
