Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:
James S. Baumlin’s Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature offers a revisionist history of discourse, taking Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton as its touchstones. Their works mark stages in dieEntzauberung or “disenchantment,” as Max Weber has termed it: that is, in the “elimination of magic from the world.” Shakespeare’s Hamlet questions the word-magic associated with medieval Catholicism; Donne’s love lyrics ironize the sacramental gestures of their poetic-priestly speakers; more radical still, Milton’s major poems and polemical prose empty language of sacral power, repudiating human persuasion entirely over matters of “saving faith.” Baumlin describes four archetypes of historical rhetoric: sophism, skepticism, incarnationism, and transcendence. Undergirding the age’s competing theologies, each makes unique assumptions regarding the powers of language (both communicative and performative); the nature of being (including transcendent being or deity); the structure of the psyche (whether sin-weakened or self-sufficient); and the capacities of human knowing (whether certain knowledge is communicable—or even possible). Working within divergent theologies of language, the poets here studied take theological controversies as explicit themes. The crisis of Hamlet begins not in a king’s murder simply, but in his dying without benefit of the sacraments. As if compensating for their loss, young Hamlet “minister[s]” to Gertrude while acting as “scourge” to Claudius. Alternating between soul-cursing and soul-curing, Hamlet plays sorcerer and priest indiscriminately.Appropriating the speech-acts of Catholic sacramentalism, Donne’s lyrics describe a private “religion of Love,” over which the poet-lover presides as officiant. Or rather, some lyrics present him as Love’s Priest, there being as many personae as there are theologies of language. Beyond Love’s Priest, Baumlin describes three such personae: Love’s Apostate, Love’s Atheist, and Love’s Reformer. Focusing on “Lycidas” and De Doctrina Christiana, Baumlin outlines Milton’s plerophoristic “rhetoric of certitude.” Such texts as these explore the problematic status of preaching. (Can human eloquence contribute to salvation?) They explore competing definitions (Aristotelian vs. Pauline) of pistis—meaning alternatively (religious) “faith” and (rhetorical) “persuasion.” And they invoke conflicting typologies (classical vs. Hebraic) of authorial ethos. Baumlin’s study ends with a glance at the Restoration and Royal Society’s final “disenchantment” or secularization of discourse.

Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton by James S. Baumlin

From reader reviews:

Darlene Trevino:

What do you about book? It is not important together with you? Or just adding material when you really need something to explain what the ones you have problem? How about your extra time? Or are you busy particular person? If you don't have spare time to complete others business, it is make you feel bored faster. And you have free time? What did you do? Every person has many questions above. They have to answer that question because just their can do that. It said that about book. Book is familiar in each person. Yes, it is right. Because start from on pre-school until university need this Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton to read.

Micheal Taylor:

Now a day people who Living in the era where everything reachable by connect to the internet and the resources inside can be true or not involve people to be aware of each facts they get. How many people to be smart in receiving any information nowadays? Of course the answer is reading a book. Examining a book can help men and women out of this uncertainty Information specially this Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton book because book offers you rich facts and knowledge. Of course the data in this book hundred % guarantees there is no doubt in it everbody knows.

Anna Chew:

This Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton tend to be reliable for you who want to be described as a successful person, why. The reason why of this Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton can be one of several great books you must have will be giving you more than just simple examining food but feed you actually with information that might be will shock your prior knowledge. This book is handy, you can bring it all over the place and whenever your conditions in e-book and printed people. Beside that this Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton forcing you to have an enormous of experience for example rich vocabulary, giving you test of critical thinking that could it useful in your day action. So , let's have it appreciate reading.

Elizabeth Easterling:

In this period of time globalization it is important to someone to receive information. The information will make a professional understand the condition of the world. The fitness of the world makes the information better to share. You can find a lot of referrals to get information example: internet, newspaper, book, and soon. You will observe that now, a lot of publisher that will print many kinds of book. Often the book that recommended to your account is Theologies of Language in English Renaissance Literature: Reading Shakespeare, Donne, and Milton this reserve consist a lot of the information of the condition of this world now. That book was represented how do the world has grown up. The vocabulary styles that writer use for explain it is easy to understand. The particular writer made some investigation when he makes this book. This is why this book ideal all of you.