And Did Those Feet tells the story of the English Church from its earliest times to 2020. Having taken root in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, it emerged in the medieval world amidst poverty, pandemics and power struggles, and not free from abuses. We see here its struggles during the Reformation, leading to an English Bible and Prayer Book, and the virtual banishment of Roman Catholicism for three hundred years. We see the spawning of new forms of Protestantism, inimical to the Crown, with the emergence of Quakers, Independents and the Methodists among many others.
Patrick Whitworth charts both the contribution and shortcomings of the English Church. An extraordinary story well told, surely this will remain the standard work on the Church in England for many years to come.
This book demonstrates that to understand English history one must appreciate the contribution of Christianity to it. Patrick Whitworth writes the story of the Church in England, spread over eighteen centuries, in an engaging and attractive manner. For anyone wanting to understand the sweep of this story in its cultural, social and political context reading this book is the place to begin.
Douglas Dales, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
This admirably comprehensive history details the complex relationship between England and the Church throughout the ages in a way that is lucid and engaging. Sweeping in historical perspective, generous in detail, and broad in examination of the range of Christian experience in this country, And Did Those Feet is a not merely a helpful introduction to the history of the Church in this country, but an exploration of why it has taken the form it has.
Mark Langham, former Roman Catholic Chaplain, Fisher House, Cambridge
This is an impressive understanding of the church’s role and witness in the landscape and history of England for almost two millennia.
Russ Parker, Author of Healing Wounded History
And Did Those Feet covers a huge amount of ground in a brisk narrative from Roman times to the present day. At a time of widespread ignorance about the Christian story of our country, this book offers a useful primer both for students and the merely curious.
Richard Chartres, former Bishop of London
It was Winston Churchill who apologized for the length of his report, explaining that he had not had time to shorten it. The idea that the history and faith of this great nation (for surely, they are one and the same thing) can be encapsulated in one volume seems as unlikely as the unicorn. And yet Patrick has done it – circumspice!
Jonathan Ruffer, Philanthropist and Investment Fund Chairman
