This is a revised and extensively rewritten edition of a work first published in 1985 as English Society 1688-1832. That book arrived at the opening of a new phase in English historiography, which questioned much of the received picture of English society as secular, modernising, contractarian, and middle class; it began the recovery of the 'long eighteenth century', the period which saw a form of state defined by the close relationship of monarchy, aristocracy and church. In particular, it placed religion at the centre of social and intellectual life, and used ecclesiastical history to illuminate many historical themes more commonly examined in a secular framework. In its updated form, this book reinforces these theses with new evidence, which extends its arguments into fresh areas of enquiry.

乔纳森•克拉克（J.C.D.Clark），长于宗教史和政治史研究，著有《变迁的动力：18世纪50年代危机与英国政党制度》（1982年）、《革命与反叛：17世纪和18世纪的英国国家与社会》（1986年）、《自由的语言，1660－1832年，盎格鲁－美洲世界的政治论战和社会动力》（1994年）、《塞缪尔•约翰逊》（1995年）等著作。

姜德福，1963年10月生，历史学博士。现任大连大学历史学院教授，辽宁省历史学会副理事长。著述有：《社会变迁中的贵族》（专著）、《现代早期英国社会的变迁》（合著）、《欧洲贵族1400－1800》（译著）等。