play of paradox, The
Book Description
In "The Play of Paradox," Bryan Crockett unveils a fascinating exploration of how Renaissance England's most powerful forms of communication—theatrical performance and religious preaching—shaped the spiritual and intellectual landscape of their time. This scholarly investigation reveals how dramatists like Shakespeare, Jonson, and Webster worked alongside influential preachers such as Hooker, Andrewes, and Donne to create a culture deeply attuned to paradox as a tool for understanding complex truths.
Crockett demonstrates how both stage and pulpit drew upon the era's unique blend of magic, drama, and religious devotion to help audiences navigate the turbulent political and theological conflicts of Tudor and Stuart England. Through careful analysis of comedies, tragedies, and sermons—including works by lesser-known preachers whose voices have been silent since the early seventeenth century—the author illuminates how these parallel forms of performance cultivated similar responses to the age's persistent debates and divisions.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality, rhetoric, and cultural transformation, this work offers valuable insights into how paradox functions as a bridge between opposing ideas. The book reveals how Renaissance audiences developed sophisticated abilities to hold contradictory truths in creative tension, a skill that remains relevant for contemporary spiritual seekers wrestling with life's inherent complexities and apparent contradictions.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~6 hours)
📄 Length: 213 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Languages & Literatures
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore Preaching
- ✓ Explore Early modern and Elizabethan
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore English
- ✓ Explore English drama, history and criticism, early modern and elizabethan, 1500-1600
- ✓ Explore English Sermons
