The Catholicism of Literature in the Age of the Book of Common Prayer - by Thomas Rist (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book demonstrates the continuity of Roman Catholicism in English Literature in a Biblicist age which established the Church of England through the Book of Common Prayer. In a challenging view of inherited literary culture, important figures include William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, Queen Henrietta Maria, John Donne, Margaret Cavendish and Aphra Behn.

Book Synopsis

Offering a complete reading of English Literature throughout 1558-1689, this book demonstrates the continuity of Roman Catholicism in English Literature from the accession of Elizabeth I to the deposing of James II. Rist shows that poetry and plays promoted Roman Catholic ideas in a Biblicist age which established the Church of England through the Book of Common Prayer. From the very idea of literary works to chapters on the Eucharist, Purgatory, Christian worship and the Virgin Mary, Rist joins together major and minor authors of the era to present English Literature afresh. Important literary figures include William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, Queen Henrietta Maria, John Donne, John Dryden, Robert Herrick, Margaret Cavendish and Aphra Behn.

From the Back Cover

This book offers a comprehensive reading of English Literature throughout 1558-1689, demonstrating the vital continuity of Roman Catholicism in English Literature from the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558 to the deposing of James II in 1689.

Focusing primarily on poetry and plays, it argues that English Literature was a significant means by which Roman Catholic ideas persisted during a time that established the Book of Common Prayer and the Church of England. Rist provides a new perspective of the Church's culture, and so of its wider relation to both Catholic and Protestant religions. The book examines both celebrated and lesser-known authors, such as William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Thomas Middleton, Queen Henrietta Maria, Robert Southwell, John Donne, George Herbert, John Dryden, Robert Herrick, Margaret Cavendish and Aphra Behn.

This is a vigorous recognition of England's literary culture and its heritage, and will be essential reading for anyone interested in the interaction of literature and religion in the period, as well as those seeking to understand how English Literature flourished in a Biblicist age.

About the Author

Thomas Rist is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Aberdeen