Children of wrath : possession, prophecy and the young in early modern England / Anna French.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

French, Anna, author.

Contributor:

Horace Howard Furness Memorial Library (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christianity--Social aspects--England--History--16th century.

Christianity.

Children--Religious aspects--Christianity--History--16th century.

Children.

Children--England--Social conditions--16th century.

Dualism--Social aspects--England--History--16th century.

Dualism.

Demoniac possession--England--History--16th century.

Demoniac possession.

Prophecy--Social aspects--England--History--16th century.

Prophecy.

Prophecy--Christianity--History--16th century.

Prophecy--Christianity.

History.

Prophecy--Social aspects.

Dualism--Social aspects.

Social conditions.

Children--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Christianity--Social aspects.

England--Religious life and customs.

England.

England--Social conditions--16th century.

Physical Description:

viii, 181 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Farnham, Surrey, England : Ashgate Publishing Limited, [2015]

Summary:

"The work introduces its readers to the dualistic nature of early modern perceptions of their young--they were seen to be both close to devilish temptations and to God's divine finger, as illustrated by published accounts of possession and prophecy. These cases reveal to us moments in which children could be granted authority or in which writers and publishers framed children in positions of spiritual agency. This can tell us much about how early modern society perceived, imagined and depicted their young, and helps us to revise the notion that early modern children's lives, which were often fleeting, may have gone unregarded. Both contributing to, and informed by, some of the most recent historiographical directions taken by early modern history, this book engages with three key areas: the history of extreme spiritual experience such as demonic possession, the 'lived experience' of early modern religion and the history of childhood. In this way, it offers the first scholarly exploration of the dialogue between these three areas of current and widespread historical interest which have, perhaps surprisingly, not yet been considered together"--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Children of wrath : an introduction

Children of unbelief : the inheritance from Adam

Children of wrath? : children in cases of demonic possession

Darrell, Harsnett and the child demoniacs

Children of God : cases of child prophecy

Sin, providence, and the judgement of children

Children of wrath : conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781472443670

1472443675

OCLC:

915774458