John Donne
In the Shadow of Religion
Andrew HadfieldA new account of Renaissance poet, scholar, soldier and cleric John Donne.
John Donne: In the Shadow of Religion explores the life of one of the most significant figures of the English Renaissance. The book not only provides an overview of Donne’s life and work, but connects his writing and thinking to the ideas, institutions and networks that influenced him.
The book shows how Donne’s faith underpinned his career, from aspirational courtier to phenomenally successful clergyman and preacher, when he became dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Donne emerges as a figure obsessed with himself, tormented by the fear that his transgressions may have condemned him to eternal damnation.
This fine new account uses Donne’s correspondence, writing and poetry to give a rounded portrait of a bold, experimental thinker, who was never afraid of taking risks that few others would have countenanced.
A new account of Renaissance poet, scholar, soldier and cleric John Donne.
John Donne: In the Shadow of Religion explores the life of one of the most significant figures of the English Renaissance. The book not only provides an overview of Donne’s life and work, but connects his writing and thinking to the ideas, institutions and networks that influenced him.
The book shows how Donne’s faith underpinned his career, from aspirational courtier to phenomenally successful clergyman and preacher, when he became dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral. Donne emerges as a figure obsessed with himself, tormented by the fear that his transgressions may have condemned him to eternal damnation.
This fine new account uses Donne’s correspondence, writing and poetry to give a rounded portrait of a bold, experimental thinker, who was never afraid of taking risks that few others would have countenanced.
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Andrew Hadfield’s John Donne: In the shadow of religion is not a biography, but a portrait of Donne through his works and times. It is gorgeously produced, with glossy pages and ample colour images of portraits, manuscripts, maps, monuments and frescoes . . . Its six themed chapters, elegantly and clearly written, will appeal to those immersed in Donne as well as those who know only a handful of lyrics.
'TLS
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Hadfield evidently has wide knowledge of the period.
'John Carey, Sunday Times
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The great achievement of Andrew Hadfield’s John Donne: In the Shadow of Religion, and what sets it apart, is how convincingly it connects the seemingly disparate strands of Donne’s life and work – his lifelong struggle with matters of the soul, his paradoxical erotic and religious poetry, his marriage, his friendships, his sermons – allowing us to see above all Donne the brilliant and restless thinker.
'James Shapiro, author of 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare
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Andrew Hadfield’s exemplary study of John Donne – a notoriously ‘difficult’ writer – is lucid and informative, yet always ready to probe towards new interpretations. Exploring lesser-known corners of Donne’s extensive output, he celebrates the ‘capacious and interconnected’ imagination of this complex, charismatic figure.
'Charles Nicholl, author of 'The Lodger: Shakespeare on Silver Street'
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The book is an effective . . . introduction to Donne for the general reader, and is praiseworthy for its focus on religion as a formative and crucial element in Donne’s life and the lives of the vast majority of his contemporaries.
'Peter Davidson, The Heythrop Journal
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If it necessarily curtails depth of enquiry, the broad scope of this book certainly leads to a sense that we are getting an impression of John Donne — a multifaceted individual if ever there was one—in three dimensions.
'Modern Language Review
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Andrew Hadfield's book is a delightful read for anyone wishing a concise but detailed discussion of Donne's life and thinking. The outline of the book is clear and purposeful, and the presentation is well supported with examples . . . [a] combination of biographical review and focus on the development of religious life is the main strength of the book . . . Finally, it must be added that the book is visually very pleasing. The paper of the printed book is of high quality, the typeset agreeable to the eye, and the images clear and sharp, many rendered in beautiful color. The book serves well as an illustrated overview, and it is a welcome addition to the discussion about Donne's religious thinking, especially for students and readers of Donne who want to move beyond general introductions and get to know the poet on a deeper level.
'Renaissance Quarterly
Andrew Hadfield is Professor of English at the University of Sussex. He is the author of a number of works on early modern literature and culture, including Lying in Early Modern Culture (2017), Edmund Spenser: A Life (2012) and Shakespeare and Republicanism (2005).
