Drawing upon printed pamphlets, tracts, advice manuals, diocesan statutes and other literary material, the study traces the evolution of writing and teaching about Purgatory and the fate of the soul between 1480 and 1720. By examining the subject across this extended period it is argued that belief in Purgatory continued to be important, although its role in the scheme of salvation changed over time, and was not simply a story of inevitable decline. Offering a fascinating insight into popular devotional practices, the book opens new vistas onto the impact of Catholic revival and Counter Reform on beliefs about the fate of the soul after death.

Elizabeth C. Tingle is Subject Leader and Associate Professor in History at the University of Plymouth. Her research interests are the French Wars of Religions and Catholic religious culture in France in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. She has published Authority and Society in Nantes during the Wars of Religion 1558-1598 (Manchester University Press, 2006) and other articles and essays.

Chapter 1: Introduction: Intercession for the Dead in Early Modern Brittany; Chapter 2: Setting the Scene: The Catholic Church and Religious Life in Early Modern Brittany; Chapter 3: Purgatory and the Counter Reformation in France 1480-1720; Chapter 4: Strategies for Eternity: Perpetual Foundations for Intercession and their Evolution Over Time 1480-1720; Chapter 5: The Individual Alone Before God? Motives of Donors and the Functions of Perpetual Masses; Chapter 6: Collective Intercession and Mutual Assistance before Eternity: Parish, Confraternity and Indulgences; Chapter 7: The Prayers of Priests: Chaplains and Intercession for the Dead; Chapter 8: Conclusions