Offering insights into the turbulent period of the English Reformation and its ideas, Jonathan Dean demonstrates the qualities of mind and heart, and the gifts of faith and character, which some of its leading proponents possessed. Moving beyond old denominational lines, he reveals the talents and virtues possessed by women and men whose lives still inspire and whose writings remain one of the greatest treasures of English religious life. The book will provide a vital resource for students and general readers seeking to understand a crucial moment in church history.

Includes chapters on Thomas More; Thomas Cranmer; Anne Askew; Katherine Parr; Nicholas Harpsfield; Elizabeth I; Matthew Parker; Lancelot Andrewes; George Herbert; Gerrard Winstanley; and Thomas Traherne.