Confessional Mobility and English Catholics in Counter-Reformation Europe

Reviews / Votes

...the book is to be welcomed for enhancing our understanding of multiple, often hybrid migrant identities and of the manifold interactions of such groups - of both the clergy and laity - on the continent. * Matthew Woodcock, History * Corens has presented an excellent case for a more fluid approach to early modern English Catholicism which recognizes the ongoing exchanges between Catholics in England and their counterparts on the European mainland. This book is a timely reminder that it was people rather than institutions who sustained English Catholicism in times of trouble. * Kirsteen MacKenzie, European History Quarterly * [The book] reflects the growing importance of early modern Catholics travelling in Europe for reasons beyond exile, and this book will be of value to anyone interested in the educational and confessional practices of this religious minority. * Eilish Gregory, Europe Now * an important contribution ... It presents a convincing case for the vitality of English Catholicism in the late seventeenth century and for an expanded understanding of expatriate Catholics. It shines new light on the subject of early modern migration, and future scholarship will no doubt expand on these ideas, looking at other geographies and periods, as well as other groups of travelers and migrants. * Jonathan Roche, Journal of British Studies * Corens paints a compelling picture of a dynamic community of active agents. She realigns our view of early modern English Catholicism as an essentially mobile phenomenon, with all the characteristics that entailed. This important book is as much focussed on ideas as evidence, yet it is underpinned by archival research of the highest quality. By building a new conceptual landscape for expatriate English Catholicism, Liesbeth Corens makes a truly transformative contribution to the historiography of early modern English Catholicism and early modern religion, and this book is surely destined to become indispensable reading for scholars of confessional identities in early modern Europe. * Reviews in History * Confessional Mobility makes an important contribution to the debate around the exile period and suggests new ways of approaching the material. It is a bold venture that sheds light on the significance of those Catholics who spent time abroad in order to make a difference for those of their co-religionists who remained at home. Whether active themselves or supporting the activities of others through prayers and pilgrimages, benefactions and a raft of other actions as interpreted by Liesbeth Corens, this book helps us to shift English Catholics further away from victimhood to positive contributions to the survival of the Catholic faith. * Caroline Bowden, Queen Mary, University of London * Corens gives a solid overview of underappreciated aspects of English Catholic networks which sustained English Catholicism during a period of disruption and dislocation ... Corens has presented an excellent case for a more fluid approach to early modern English Catholicism which recognizes the ongoing exchanges between Catholics in England and their counterparts on the European mainland. This book is a timely reminder that it was people rather than institutions who sustained English Catholicism in times of trouble. * Kirsteen M. MacKenzie, European History Quarterly *