In an attempt to organize the swiftly-growing diversity in Christianity during the nineteenth century, the Reverend John Henry Blunt compiled a learned compendium of the known religious groups of his day. A unique glimpse into the history of early-modern Christianity, this reference work includes extensive articles on the various collections of believers who considered themselves to be Christian. This utilitarian dictionary includes the groups widely considered to be heretical as well as those sub-groups that are denominated as sects. An encyclopedic attempt to label and classify everyone from Abecedarians to the Zwinglians, this work served as a standard reference for generations of those curious about other religions. Blunt, in a move that presaged the more comprehensive modern studies of the phenomenon of religious diversification, also included in his study non-Christian religions that were beginning to be taken seriously during his century. Here one will find the straightforward assessment of a nineteenth-century English divine when faced with a world bewilderingly full of religious faiths.

John Henry Blunt (1823-1884) was a priest of the Church of England. Educated at Durham University, he began writing theological volumes while serving various parishes. He is primarily known for his works on church history and law. For his contributions to the field he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1882.