Among the themes explored in these essays are the power and continuing influence of Winstanley's writings, his ideas on 'civil liberty', the economic and political background against which the Diggers operated, their treatment at the hands of their opponents, their attitude to women and the family, and the role of the Bible in their thinking. A number of the essays also explore the extent to which historical research can enable us to gain a clear picture of the movement and the figure of Winstanley himself.