RURAL SYNTHESIS The Religious Basis of Rural Culture an excerpt Martin Thornton Authorized Reissue Foreword by Rev. R. Hanson, M.A., B.D. © Akenside Press and Matthew C. Dallman, 2016. Reissued with permission of Monica Thornton. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, Akenside Press. First British edition, 1948 by Skeffington and Son LTD London Cover image “St._Rumwolds' Church, near Bonnington, Romney Marsh, Kent” by Paul Russon is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original CONTENTS Forward and Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Meaning of “The Land” 3. “The Land” in Poetry 4. The Agricultural Ethic 5. The Prophetic Element in Agriculture 6. The Church in Rural Economy 7. The Theology of Rural Synthesis 8. The Rural Personality 9. Pastoralia 10. The Rural Liturgy 11. Rural Synthesis and the Modern World 12. Conclusion Go to FORWARD and PREFACE. © Akenside Press and Matthew C. Dallman, 2016. Reissued with permission of Monica Thornton. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, Akenside Press.