Milton and the Burden of Freedom

This book examines the unresolved tensions in Milton's writings, as he grapples with the paradox of freedom in a universe ruled by an all-powerful God.

Warren Chernaik (Author)

9781316607114, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 February 2019

284 pages
23 x 15.3 x 1.8 cm, 0.36 kg

'In its comprehensive scope, focused analysis, and lucid engagement with Milton's writings and intellectual contexts, Milton and the Burden of Freedom is a compelling and challenging book.' Claire Falck, Religion & Literature

Throughout his writings, Milton, deeply engaged in political and theological controversy, sought to clear a space for human freedom in a world ruled by an omniscient and omnipotent deity. Paradise Lost and Samson Agonistes, as well as other works by Milton in verse and prose, explore the problematical aspects of a universe ruled by an Old Testament God of wrath, demanding obedience, who allows his creatures the freedom to be 'authors' of their own fate. Milton and the Burden of Freedom examines the contradictions inherent in Milton's religious, political, and ethical beliefs as expressed in his poems, prose writings, and the treatise De Doctrina Christiana. Milton, whose writings are rooted in the Reformed tradition while challenging Calvinist orthodoxy, is both radical and conservative. In this book, Warren Chernaik traces the evolution of Milton's attitude towards freedom, servitude and virtue during a century of political upheaval and disappointed hopes.

Introduction. Free to fall: Milton and the Old Testament God
1. Milton's post-Calvinist theology
2. 'Providence their guide': providence in Milton
3. The unpolluted temple of the mind: virtue on trial
4. Classical and Biblical Republicanism: Milton and some contemporaries
5. Victory's crest: Milton, the English nation, and Cromwell
6. Monarchy and servitude: the politics of Paradise Lost
7. God's just yoke: power and justice in Paradise Lost
8. 'Tyrannie must be': Milton and the Restoration
Postscript.

Subject Areas: Religious & spiritual fiction [FW], Historical fiction [FV], Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers [DSK], Literary studies: general [DSB], Literature: history & criticism [DS], Literature & literary studies [D], The arts: general issues [AB]