Dreams and the passions in Revolutionary England
Between 1640 and 1660, England suffered a profound political, religious and social revolution, with its roots in the broader crisis over the nature of religious truth precipitated by the long Reformation. This thesis explores one element of this crisis over divine truth - the nature and origins of dreams, their status as reliable knowledge, and pragmatic and psychological responses to them as experiences. Dreams are explored as a powerful conceptual category in a number of contexts, including medical literature and theological writings concerned with the soul, prophecy and cosmology; the sermons and confessional literature of puritan and Anglican divines; and a diverse range of âradicalâ and âoccultâ texts imported to England and produced at home after the lapse of censorship in the 1640s. The study not only gives renewed attention to changes in the concepts, identities and practices constructed around dreams in intellectual discourses, but demonstrates the many ways in which they were in contestation; draws out their intimate relationship to wider intellectual struggles of the day in greater depth than previous studies; and highlights a variety of heretofore unappreciated attempts to integrate regard
Scott, Richard
Dreams and the passions in Revolutionary England. Between 1640 and 1660, England suffered a profound political, religious and social revolution, with its roots in the broader crisis over the nature of religious truth precipitated by the long Reformation. This thesis explores one element of this crisis over divine truth - the nature and origins of dreams, their status as reliable knowledge, and pragmatic and psychological responses to them as experiences. Dreams are explored as a powerful conceptual category in a number of contexts, including medical literature and theological writings concerned with the soul, prophecy and cosmology; the sermons and confessional literature of puritan and Anglican divines; and a diverse range of âradicalâ and âoccultâ texts imported to England and produced at home after the lapse of censorship in the 1640s. The study not only gives renewed attention to changes in the concepts, identities and practices constructed around dreams in intellectual discourses, but demonstrates the many ways in which they were in contestation; draws out their intimate relationship to wider intellectual struggles of the day in greater depth than previous studies; and highlights a variety of heretofore unappreciated attempts to integrate regard
passion revolutionary england england suffer profound political_religious social revolution root broader crisis nature religious truth precipitate long reformation explores element crisis divine truth nature origins dream status reliable knowledge pragmatic psychological response experience explore powerful conceptual category number context include medical_literature theological writing concerned soul prophecy cosmology sermon confessional literature puritan anglican divine diverse range radical occult texts imported england produced home censorship study give renew attention change concept identity practice construct around dream intellectual_discourse demonstrate many_way contestation draws intimate_relationship wider intellectual struggle day great_depth previous_study highlight variety heretofore unappreciated attempt integrate regard