"A Reading of Edward Taylor is a study of Taylor's poetry in the sense that Thomas M. Davis is interested in how the nature of the poems evolves during the nearly fifty years Taylor served as minister in Westfield, Massachusetts. The first part of the book examines the long doctrinal poem, Gods Determinations, as the poem in which Taylor emerges as an accomplished poet. The final section of the poem, the "Choral Epilogue," with its emphasis on praising God in song, leads directly to the initial poems of the Preparatory Meditations, the more than two hundred meditative poems that Taylor wrote over the next forty years." "The early poems in Series 1 exhibit only loosely organized sequences; some are directly prompted by the Lord's Supper, but many are related in only indirect ways to the Sacrament. These poems, in their range and celebration of the joys of grace, are some of Taylor's best. In Meditations 19-22, he writes four interlocked poems dealing with the relation of his poetry to his spiritual condition. Despite Taylor's disclaimers about the quality of his poetry, in these poems he also makes his most elevated claim about his ability to praise." "What reservations he has about his ability to praise adequately are relatively minor in subsequent Meditations. But after the death of his wife, Elizabeth, Taylor reexamines the nature of his poetry and the relationship of grace to his ability to write in praise of Christ. And he begins to equate shoddy poetry with his own sin. In the central Meditations in this process, Meditations 39 and 40, the intense examination of his sinful state ("My Sin! my Sin, My God, these Cursed Dregs. . .") leads him to beg Christ to destroy his (Taylor's) sins so that his "rough Feet shall [Christ's] smooth praises sing." By the end of Series 1, he has come to accept a more limited view of the possibility of writing praise commensurate with Christ's glory. He acknowledges that until he receives the Crown of Life "I cannot sing, my tongue is tide. / Accept this Lisp till I am glorifide."" "He then turns at the beginning of Series 2 to the poems on typology. These poems are often mechanical, particularly those where he is too strictly bound by the large number of typological parallels. He also recognizes these limitations and moves increasingly to other texts, particularly those from the Canticles. In the allegory of the Song, Taylor finds the openness and sensuous imagery that allow him to express as fully as is possible his love of Christ and his passionate desire to be with the Bridegroom in the heavenly Garden. The more than forty Meditations based on Canticles texts near the end of Series 2 reveal Taylor's sense of drawing closer and closer to being in the Garden itself, and of replacing his "lisp" with the true voice of the glorified."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Envy and jealousy are the emotions that fuel interpersonal rivalry, and interpersonal rivalry is a cornerstone of literature. Emerging from growing scholarly interest in the history of emotion, The Rivalrous Renaissance is the first full-length study of envy and jealousy in Renaissance England. The book introduces readers both to the cultural dynamics of affective rivalry in the period and to how these crucial feelings inspired literary works across a wide range of genres, by luminary authors such as Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, Mary Wroth, William Shakespeare, and John Milton. Early modern concepts of envy and jealousy were more actively theorized as central components of human experience than is typical today. Bradley J. Irish argues that literature is the key domain where this Renaissance theorization of affective rivalry was brought to life. Poetry, drama, and narrative prose created the conditions for these concepts to become most socially meaningful, simulating the interpersonal experiences in which the emotions practically manifest. This volume will appeal to scholars interested in the history of emotion and affect, as well as more broadly to scholars of the literature and social dynamics of early modern England, and to undergraduate and graduate students in specialized seminars.

This book contributes to the ongoing revision of early modern British history by examining the apocalyptic tradition through the life and writings of Joseph Mede (1586-1638). The history of the British apocalyptic tradition has yet to undergo a thorough revision. Past studies followed a historiographical paradigm which associated millenarianism with a revolutionary agenda. A careful study of Joseph Mede, one of the key individuals responsible for the rebirth of millenarianism in England, suggests a different picture of seventeenth-century apocalypticism. The roots of Mede's apocalyptic thought are not found in extreme activism, but in the detailed study of the Apocalypse with the aid of ancient Christian and Jewish sources. Mede’s legacy illustrates the geographical prevalence and long-term sustainability of his interpretations. This volume shows that the continual discussion of millenarian ideas reveals a vibrant tradition that cannot be reconstructed to fit within one simple historiographical narrative.

John W. Tweeddale reappraises John Owen's work as a biblical exegete, offering the first analysis of his essays, or “exercitations,” on Hebrews. Owen is frequently acknowledged as a leading figure of the puritan and nonconformist movements of the seventeenth century. However, while his reputation as a statesman, educator, pastor, polemicist, and theologian is widely recognized, he is not remembered as an exegete of Scripture. Yet throughout his life, Owen engaged in the task of biblical interpretation. His massive commentary on Hebrews in particular represents the apex of his career and exemplifies many of the exegetical methods of Protestants in early modern England. Although often overlooked, Owen's writings on Hebrews are an important resource for understanding his life and thought. Beginning with an evaluation of the state of research on Owen's commentary, as well as suggesting reasons for its neglect in current scholarship, Tweeddale then places Owen's work on Hebrews within the context of his life. What follows is a consideration of the function of federal theology in Owen's essays, and how his hermeneutic fits within the broader scope of reformed discussions on the doctrine of covenant. Tweeddale further examines Owen's attempts to resolve the challenge posed by a Christological reading of the Old Testament to a literal interpretation of Scripture. He then explores how Owen's essays represent a refining of the exegetical tradition of the Abrahamic passages in Hebrews, and how his exegesis distinguishes himself from the majority of reformed opinion on the Mosaic covenant. By focusing on the relationship of Christology, covenant theology, and hermeneutics in his commentary, this book argues that neither Owen's biography nor theology can be fully understood apart from his work on Hebrews and efforts in biblical interpretation.