The essays in this volume take a fresh look at the history of institutions in the early modern world. Casting a broad look across a variety of institutions, from missionary societies to guilds, from lawcourts to academies, and exploring institutions across western Europe and Britain, the volume as a whole invites a newly comparative understanding of the nature of formal institutions in the period. By envisaging disparate institutions as having, to some degree, similar self-perceptions, strategies, and rituals, these essays begin to build up a picture of how early modern institutions functioned overall. The book will appeal to anyone interested in the social and culture history of early modern communities, as well as offering insights into the relationship of institutions and the developing state.