From its inception what came to be known as the Oxford Movement was always intended to be more than just an abstruse dialogue about the theoretical nature of Anglicanism. Instead, it was meant to spread its ideas not only through college common rooms, but also bishop's palaces, and above all the parsonages of the Church of England. The Oxford Movement in Practice presents an analysis of Tractarianism in the generation after Newman's conversion to Roman Catholicism. While much scholarly work has been done on the Oxford Movement between 1833 and 1845, and on a number of specific individuals or aspects of the Movement after this period, this work adopts a different approach. It examines Tractarianism in the parochial setting, and charts the development of the Movement through its influence on the parishes of the Church of England. George Herring offers detailed explanation of the development of ritualism in the 1860's, and shows how the Ritualists diverted the course the Movement had been taking from 1845.

The Oxford Movement began in the Church of England in 1833 and extended to the rest of the Anglican Communion, influencing other denominations as well. It was an attempt to remind the church of its divine authority, independent of the state, and to recall it to its Catholic heritage deriving from the ancient and medieval periods, as well as the Caroline Divines of 17th-century England. The Oxford Movement and Its Leaders is a comprehensive bibliography of books, pamphlets, chapters in books, periodical articles, manuscripts, microforms, and tape recordings dealing with the Movement and its influence on art, literature, and music, as well as theology; authors include scholars in these fields, as well as the fields of history, political science, and the natural sciences. The first edition of The Oxford Movement and Its Leaders and its supplement contained comprehensive coverage through 1983 and 1990, respectively. The Second Edition, with over 8,000 citations covering many languages, extends coverage through 2001; it also includes many earlier items not previously listed, corrections and additions to earlier items, and a listing of electronic sources.