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England's parish churches have been much studied as both art and architecture, but seldom as components of the communities of which they are part. This book discusses the influence society has had on churches throughout history, from Roman traditions impacting on the newly formed Church in England, to the splendours of the Middle Ages and the economic change of the Restoration. It examines the ways in which religious nonconformity, changing patterns of settlement, and the great social upheaval of the 18th and 19th centuries brought about changes in function and style.