Eminent Tracterians: How Lay Followers of the Oxford Revival Expressed their Faith in Their 'Trivial Round and Common Task'

Launched in 1833, the Oxford or Tractarian Movement aimed to revive the Church of England as a moral force and bring its ritual closer to that of Catholicism. This book shows how its principles shaped the lives and works of four leading followers: the merchant William Gibbs, the architect William Butterfield, the banker Thomas Heywood and the theatre director Lilian Baylis. Its examination of the role of faith in a capitalist society is as relevant today as in the 19th century.