WEEK 1

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Reading - The Reformation (see below)

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Question for Reflection

1. What are the positives and negatives of the ‘store’ system of church maintenance?

2. Why do you think the Morebath parish bought the stained-glass windows from Barlinch Priory?

3. Is there any validity in the reformer's criticism of the liturgical practices at Morebath?

4. What was the impetus for the people of Morebath to send their sons to fight in the Prayerbook Rebellion?

5. How do you explain Trychay’s acquiescence to the Elizabethan settlement in the 1560s and 1570s?

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Week 2

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Reading - Colombiere

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Question for Reflection

1. What were the causes of anti-Catholicism in Stuart England?

2. What was life like for an ordinary English Catholic in the 1670s?

3. How did Titus Oates – a disgraced former naval chaplain – become so influential in 1678?

4. Did Claude de la Colombiere behave rashly while in England?

5. Do you agree with him that ‘diversity’ and freedom of religion were a negative force in England during this period?

6. Can we compare the popular hysteria of the Popish Plot with any recent phenomena?

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Week 3

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Reading - The Gordon Riots

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 Question for Reflection

1. What factors led to the gradual repeal of anti-Catholic penal laws in the late 18^th century?

2. Why did the Catholic hierarchy object to the founding of the Catholic Committee?

3. What were the primary causes of the Gordon riots of 1780?

4. Why did some Catholics oppose the passing of the Papists Act 1778?

5. Was Joseph Berington a visionary or a utopian?

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Week 4

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Reading - The Metairie Case

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 Question for Reflection

1. What do you think was the most significant factor leading to the Papal Aggression crisis of the 1850s? Irish immigration? The Oxford Movement? The Restoration of the hierarchy?

2. Were Protestant commentators justified in their claims about the power of the Catholic priest over his congregation?

3. Does this kind of anti-Catholicism still exist in 2025?

4. Is the Papal Aggression crisis similar to any contemporary political crises?

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Week 5

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Reading - The Rise and Fall of Sectarian Liverpool

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 Question for Reflection

1. What factors – economic, theological, nationalist –  led to the rise of sectarianism in Liverpool at the end of the nineteenth century?

2. Are there any figures in contemporary politics that you could compare to George Wise?

3. Why did sectarianism begin to decline in Liverpool after 1950?

4. Does anti-Catholic sentiment still exist in the UK in 2025?

5. “There is a continuous thread of anti-Catholicism in British culture from 1535 to 1982.” Do you agree?

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Evaluation Form

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We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to provide feedback on your experience with the course. Please complete the evaluation form here:

Evaluation Form-Social History of Catholic Britain

Thank you for your time and valuable input.

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