While researching this book I have benefited from the kind assistance and generous support of various institutions, colleagues and friends. I am grateful for the excellent services provided by the archivists at Lambeth Palace Library, London; the Borthwick Institute, York; John Rylands University Library, Manchester; the British Library, London; the National Archives, London; Cambridge University Library; the Angus Library, Oxford; Dr Williams’ Library, London; and the Special Collections Department, University of Birmingham. I offer particular thanks to the Principal and Chapter of Pusey House, Oxford; the Evangelical Alliance (UK); the Free Church of Scotland College, Edinburgh; and New College, Edinburgh, for permission to examine their archives. The Protestant Alliance very generously provided copies of their magazine, and Isabel Syed, archivist at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, kindly supplied copies of material on request. My thanks also go to Lady Avon for granting access to her family papers at the University of Birmingham archives. The extracts from the papers of Thomas B. Strong, Bishop of Oxford, were used by permission of the Secretary to the Delegates of the Oxford University.

I am indebted to a number of fellow historians whose comments and exhortations have been invaluable – in particular Ian Randall, Martin Wellings, Perry Butler, Matthew Grimley, Mark Smith and John Wolffe. Andrew Atherstone and Alister Chapman very generously provided me with sections of their research in advance of publication. My thanks also go to the staff of Boydell & Brewer, particularly Michael Middeke, commissioning editor, and Arthur Burns, Stephen Taylor and Kenneth Fincham, series editors for ‘Studies in Modern British Religious History’. The publication of this book has been made possible by a grant from the Scouloudi Foundation in association with the Institute of Historical Research. My appreciation also goes to the Anglo-Catholic Historical Society, the Evangelical Library, The Open University, Peter Maiden and Michael Hamilton for their financial generosity, and Hannah Kitchen, David Hannant and Brian Maiden for proofreading sections of the manuscript. Special thanks are reserved for my friend and former PhD supervisor, Professor David Bebbington.

My friends in Salford, Andrew and Natalie, Chris and Esther and Lewis and Abbey, have been extremely loyal and patient in recent years, and I am also grateful to Omar, Chris and Bully for their camaraderie and hospitality (as well as games of Risk and Pro Evo Soccer) during research trips.