'Vain, stupid, profane games': Medieval attitudes to the playing of sports on the Sabbath and other holy days -- The impact of the break with Rome -- The reign of Elizabeth I and the battle over the Lord's Day -- James I's 'dancing book' and the politicisation of 'Saint Sabbath' -- The Book of Sports and the reign of Charles I: From a 'pious Statute' to 'bloody civil war' -- Enforcement and reaction: Choosing between the 'Commandments of God and Man.'
Summary
'The Book of Sports' was the royal declaration which sanctioned popular participation in traditional pastimes after church attendance on Sunday. It was denounced by a vociferous opposition who viewed recreation on the Sabbath as the devil's work. Alistair Dougall takes a fresh look at the events surrounding the re-publication of 'The Book of Sports' in 1633 and reassesses the role of Charles I himself in the controversy
