Overview

"This cutting-edge book explores Shakespeare's negotiation of Reformation controversy about theories of salvation. While twentieth century literary criticism tended to regard Shakespeare as a harbinger of secularism, the so-called ""turn to religion"" in early modern studies has given renewed attention to the religious elements in Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Nevertheless, there remains an aura of uncertainty regarding some of the doctrinal and liturgical specificities of the period. This historical gap is especially felt with respect to theories of salvation, or soteriology. Such ambiguity, however, calls for further inquiry into historical theology. The author explores how the language and concepts of faith, grace, charity, the sacraments, election, free will, justification, sanctification, and atonement find expression in Shakespeare's plays. In doing so, this book contributes to the recovery of a greater understanding of the relationship between early modern religion and Shakespearean drama. While the author shares David Scott Kastan's reluctance to attribute particular religious convictions to Shakespeare, in some cases such critical guardedness has diverted attention from the religious topography of Shakespeare's plays. Throughout this study, the author's hermeneutic is to read Shakespeare through the lens of early modern theological controversy and to read early modern theology through the lens of Shakespeare."

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"""Shakespeare on Salvation ably demonstrates the complexities of the relationship between early modern religion and Shakespearean drama. David Anonby not only expertly uncovers an understanding of Shakespeare's sophisticated religious vision, his findings on the dramatist's lucid, charitable, and even humorous treatment of soteriology are relevant to how to best navigate the various polarizations in our time. An impressive resource that I highly recommend."" --Monika B. Hilder, professor of English, Trinity Western University ""After the Reformation, competing theories on the 'right road' to eternal life stirred up heated debate among Shakespeare's contemporaries. David Anonby's penetrating and profound study of the treatment of salvation in Shakespearean drama reveals the Bard's refusal to adopt a single doctrinal position. Anonby adeptly and convincingly argues that we should no longer seek a distinctly Catholic or Protestant Shakespeare, but rather observe the sophisticated ways in which his dramatic texts move between various confessional positions both within and across his oeuvre."" --Holly Faith Nelson, professor of English, Trinity Western University ""This study of Shakespeare's response to contemporary controversies on the doctrine of salvation reveals how a deeper understanding of the ways theology informs the plays enriches our experience of Shakespearean drama. Read in the light of the urgent religious concerns that affected his audience, works like Hamlet and King Lear, among others, acquire a renewed force."" --Samuel Wong, assistant teaching professor of English, University of Victoria"

"""Shakespeare on Salvation ably demonstrates the complexities of the relationship between early modern religion and Shakespearean drama. David Anonby not only expertly uncovers an understanding of Shakespeare's sophisticated religious vision, his findings on the dramatist's lucid, charitable, and even humorous treatment of soteriology are relevant to how to best navigate the various polarizations in our time. An impressive resource that I highly recommend."" --Monika B. Hilder, professor of English, Trinity Western University ""After the Reformation, competing theories on the 'right road' to eternal life stirred up heated debate among Shakespeare's contemporaries. David Anonby's penetrating and profound study of the treatment of salvation in Shakespearean drama reveals the Bard's refusal to adopt a single doctrinal position. Anonby adeptly and convincingly argues that we should no longer seek a distinctly Catholic or Protestant Shakespeare, but rather observe the sophisticated ways in which his dramatic texts move between various confessional positions both within and across his oeuvre."" --Holly Faith Nelson, professor of English, Trinity Western University ""This study of Shakespeare's response to contemporary controversies on the doctrine of salvation reveals how a deeper understanding of the ways theology informs the plays enriches our experience of Shakespearean drama. Read in the light of the urgent religious concerns that affected his audience, works like Hamlet and King Lear, among others, acquire a renewed force."" --Samuel Wong, assistant teaching professor of English, University of Victoria"

Author Information

David Anonby has a PhD from the University of Victoria and is assistant professor of English literature at Trinity Western University in British Columbia, Canada, where he has taught since 2002. He has published and presented papers on historical religious controversy in Shakespeare and on the theology of John Donne.

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