The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth / As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social Reformer

Name: The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth / As Revealed in the Writings of Gerrard Winstanley, the Digger, Mystic and Rationalist, Communist and Social Reformer
Author: Lewis Henry Berens

By Lewis Henry Berens

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About This Book

A study traces the religious and political background of mid-17th-century England by reviewing the Reformation, the civil wars, and the rise of the Digger movement, then presents the writings and thought of Gerrard Winstanley. It summarizes his critique of property and church authority, his engagement with Quaker ideas, and his proposals for communal land use and a New Law of Righteousness. The author reproduces and annotates manifestos, letters, and the utopian Law of Freedom, and offers commentary, appendices with the Peasants' Twelve Articles and related documents, and concluding reflections on the movement's ideals and practical schemes.

About the Author

Lewis Henry Berens

Lewis Henry Berens was an English author and historian known for his exploration of social and political movements in 17th-century England. His notable work, "The Digger Movement in the Days of the Commonwealth," delves into the writings of Gerrard Winstanley, a key figure in the Digger movement, which advocated for communal land ownership and social reform. Berens' scholarship sheds light on the radical ideas and philosophies that emerged during a tumultuous period in English history, contributing to the understanding of early socialist thought and the quest for social justice.