Re-imagining the Virgin Mary in Reformation England
This thesis is an interdisciplinary examination of the place of the Virgin Mary in the English reformations of the sixteenth century. Situated at the crossroads of cultural and social history, it engages with the post-revisionist debate within Reformation studies. It seeks to move post-revisionism forward by suggesting that the versatility and vitality of late medieval Mariology enabled reformers, Catholic and Protestant, to select and reject from a basket of possibilities. Consequently it contends that the fissures that had opened up by the time of the Elizabethan settlement had essentially developed along pre-existing fault lines. The first chapter explores the place of the Virgin in the late medieval context. It examines her theological significance, the way ordinary people related to her and, consequently, how they represented her in English parishes. It argues that the Virgin occupied a position which supported both affective and effective piety. The second chapter considers specific ways in which existing Mariological tropes were unsettled by the critiques of Catholic evangelicals, Renaissance humanists and Lollards. It demonstrates that the Virgin was a fluid symbol and suggests some possible trajectories
Bates, Stephen
DA Great Britain
Re-imagining the Virgin Mary in Reformation England. This thesis is an interdisciplinary examination of the place of the Virgin Mary in the English reformations of the sixteenth century. Situated at the crossroads of cultural and social history, it engages with the post-revisionist debate within Reformation studies. It seeks to move post-revisionism forward by suggesting that the versatility and vitality of late medieval Mariology enabled reformers, Catholic and Protestant, to select and reject from a basket of possibilities. Consequently it contends that the fissures that had opened up by the time of the Elizabethan settlement had essentially developed along pre-existing fault lines. The first chapter explores the place of the Virgin in the late medieval context. It examines her theological significance, the way ordinary people related to her and, consequently, how they represented her in English parishes. It argues that the Virgin occupied a position which supported both affective and effective piety. The second chapter considers specific ways in which existing Mariological tropes were unsettled by the critiques of Catholic evangelicals, Renaissance humanists and Lollards. It demonstrates that the Virgin was a fluid symbol and suggests some possible trajectories
imagining virgin mary reformation_england interdisciplinary examination place virgin mary english situated cultural social_history engage post revisionist debate_within reformation study seek move post revisionism forward suggest vitality late_medieval enable reformer catholic_protestant select reject possibility consequently contend open time elizabethan settlement essentially develop_along pre_existing fault line first_explore place virgin late_medieval context examines theological_significance way ordinary_people relate consequently represent english_parish argues virgin occupy position support affective effective piety second_considers specific_way exist trope unsettle critique catholic evangelicals renaissance humanists demonstrates virgin fluid symbol suggest possible trajectory