Introduction

Summary

The Introduction sets out the rationale for a study of the social and cultural impact of religious difference after the Toleration Act, and emphasises the wide-ranging social impact of religious difference in this period. By outlining the potentially far-reaching influence of this difference across English society, the introduction suggests that while the legal, political, and institutional implications of the Toleration Act have long been a subject of historical interest, this legislation also had social and cultural ramifications that demand sustained attention. Engaging with social, cultural, and religious histories of the eighteenth century, the introduction further points to the argument at the heart of the book: that looking at the social consequences of religious difference in this period changes our understanding of the cultural tenor of English society.