The Caroline Divines have long been hailed as the patrons of an Anglican 'golden age'. Their emphasis upon liturgical renewal and development, like their emphases upon learning and piety, have each had a pervasive influence on the Anglican ethos that extends down to our own day. The Beauty of Holiness includes selections from key figures such as Lancelot Andrewes, William Laud, John Cosin, George Herbert and Jeremy Taylor, but also expands the canon of Caroline divinity to include lay writings, especially by women, many of which were published posthumously.

The Beauty of Holiness offers an expansive and detailed portrait of the continued maturing of Anglican theology and devotion in the central half of the seventeenth century. Similarly, traditional topics such as sacramental theology and private devotion are complimented by readings on poetry as a spiritual discipline, natural theology, and the importance of family prayers.

The Beauty of Holiness thus functions as both an introduction to the Anglican past and a catechism for the Anglican present.

Benjamin Guyer is a MA/PhD student in British History at the University of Kansas , Lawrence , KS.