Religion and Life Cycles in Early Modern England

• Published in: Bunyan studies no. 26; pp. 134 - 137
• Main Author: Searle, Alison
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Newcastle Upon Tyne Northumbria University, Department of Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences 01.01.2022
• Subjects: Anniversaries; Clergy; Essays; Hymns; Interdisciplinary aspects; Marriage; Religion; Religious music; Rites of passage; Spirituality; United Kingdom > UK; England
• ISSN: 0954-0970

[...]rather than viewing the life cycle as constrained by the transition points of birth, death, and marriage, the editors argue for 'a more holistic approach to the intersection between religion and all stages of the life course, considering not just the rites of passage that shaped an individual's life, but their everyday lived experience of attending school and church, going to work, praying, writing letters and singing hymns' (6). Keep's sophisticated and persuasive analysis of the visual vocabulary of this artwork as it intersects with the Aston family's religious life cycle demonstrates the usefulness of this heuristic as a means of interrogating the lived experience of early modern people. Exhibiting the porosity between fictional and nonfictional sources that Hobby identifies as productive, David Fletcher's essay expands the reach of the collection with its analysis of how the clergy and marriage, as a fundamental part of the life cycle, are interrogated in Restoration comedies: 'the portrayals of the clerical characters degrade not only the reputation of the clergy but also the institution of marriage itself, as they are the very people responsible for carrying out the wedding ceremonies. [...]