This work investigates the transformation of the English Catholic community from a clandestine, persecuted minority into a distinct, organized social body between 1570 and 1850. John Bossy, a prominent historian of early modern Catholicism, utilizes a sociological framework to analyze how the community maintained its identity amidst political hostility and legal exclusion. He argues that the survival of English Catholicism was not merely a matter of theological adherence, but a result of the development of specific social structures and internal communal networks. The text examines the shift from the medieval model of the parish to the post-Reformation model of the mission, detailing how the community adapted to its status as a marginalized group.

Historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the social history of English Catholicism. Experts note that the prose is dense and academic, requiring a solid grasp of the historical context of the period.