Religion and Governance in England’s Emerging Colonial Empire, 1601–1698 (New Transculturalisms, 1400–1800)

This open access book explores the role of religion in England's overseas companies and the formation of English governmental identity abroad in the seventeenth century. Drawing on research into the Virginia, East India, Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New England and Levant Companies, it offers a comparative global assessment of the inextricable links between the formation of English overseas government and various models of religious governance across England's emerging colonial empire. While these approaches to governance varied from company to company, each sought to regulate the behaviour of their personnel, as well as the numerous communities and faiths which fell within their jurisdiction. This book provides a crucial reassessment of the seventeenth-century foundations of British imperial governance--back cover Religion and Governance in England’s Emerging Colonial Empire, 1601–1698 Religion and Governance in England’s Emerging Colonial Empire, 1601–1698 Acknowledgements Contents 1 ‘A Just Government’—Empire, Religion, Chaplains and the Corporation Defining Governance Emerging Empire: Internal Imperial and Iberian Inspiration Corporate Formation and the Origins of Corporate Religious Governance A History of Corporate Religious Governance Religion in England The Company Chaplain Conclusion 2 The Virginia Company and the Foundations of Religious Governance in English Commercial Expansion Protestant Evangelisms in Opposition to Catholicism Population Presence of an Ecclesiastical Structure Evangelism and Education Enforcement Perceptions of Local Religious Practice Religious Governance and Downfall of the Virginia Company Conclusion 3 The Plymouth Company and Massachusetts Bay Company (1622–1639): Establishing Theocratic Corporate Governance The Plymouth Company and the Foundations of Theocratic Governance Chartering and Charter Rights Massachusetts Bay Company as Trading Corporation The Corporate Congregation and Foundations of Theocratic Governance Policing Religious Behaviour: The Antinomian Controversy and Early Attempts to Curtail MBC’s Theocratic Governance Conclusion 4 Apostasy and Debauchery (1601–1660): Behaviour, Passive Evangelism and the East India and Levant Company Chaplains Protestant Pluralism and the Foundations of Pastoral Governance Pastoral Governance and Preventing Apostasy Pastoral Governance and Structuring Diplomatic Interaction and Response to Iberian Presence Chaplains as Enforcers of Pastoral Governance and Corporate Evangelism Chaplains and Knowledge Exchange Pastoral Governance and Securing Commercial Success and Religious Behaviour Conclusion 5 The Massachusetts Bay Company and New England Company (1640–1684): Exportation, Revaluation and the Demise of Corporate Theocratic Governance Territory and the Expansion of Theocratic Governance Restoration and Reaction to Theocratic Governance in Massachusetts King Philip’s War and the End to Theocratic Governance Conclusion 6 The East India Company (1661–1698): Territorial Acquisition and the ‘Amsterdam of Liberty’ Ecumenical Governance, Josiah Child and the Dutch Model Ecumenical Governance in Opposition to Mughal Religious Government Ecumenical Governance in Opposition to Iberian Religious Government Ecumenical Governance and Religious-Commercial Patronage and Religious Migration Ecumenical Governance and Regulating Behaviour of English Personnel Ecumenical Governance and Passive Evangelism Ecumenical Governance and Local Political Engagement Ecumenical Government and the Exportation of English Customs and Prejudices Conclusion 7 Conclusion Bibliography Index