This work investigates the efficacy and institutional rationale of the Church of England between 1660 and 1828 by examining the specific administrative and pastoral practices within the diocese of the Archbishops of Canterbury. Jeremy Gregory, a scholar of ecclesiastical history, utilizes extensive archival research to challenge traditional historiographical critiques that characterize this period as one of clerical decline. By analyzing the political, economic, and cultural functions of the Church, the author constructs a framework that presents the institution as a coherent and active force in English society during the long eighteenth century.

Historians and scholars of the period recognize this monograph as a foundational text for understanding the internal mechanics of the Church of England. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the rigorous use of primary source material to support the author's revisionist arguments.