Smoke Of The Soul Medicine Physiology And Religion In Early Modern England, The
By Richard Sugg
In early modern England, Christians grappled with one of faith's most perplexing mysteries: how does the immortal soul connect to the physical body? This fascinating exploration reveals how believers, scholars, and physicians wrestled with questions that seemed to have no satisfying answers.
Drawing from the writings of prominent figures like John Donne and Walter Raleigh, this study illuminates the spiritual and intellectual tensions of an era caught between traditional religious doctrine and emerging scientific understanding. These devout yet questioning minds found themselves dissatisfied with conventional explanations of how divine spirit could inhabit mortal flesh.
The book examines how medical practitioners and religious thinkers theorized about blood spirits as the mysterious bridge between material and spiritual realms. As scientific inquiry advanced, these seekers found themselves in the peculiar position of hunting for the soul's physical traces within the human body, even as they affirmed its transcendent nature.
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality and human understanding, this work offers insight into how our ancestors navigated the eternal question of what makes us truly human. It reveals the profound anxieties and genuine excitement that arose when earthly knowledge encountered divine mystery, showing how the search for the soul's location became both a medical quest and a spiritual journey that challenged the very foundations of faith and reason.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore English literature
- ✓ Explore Literature and medicine
- ✓ Explore Religion and literature
- ✓ Explore LITERARY CRITICISM / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
- ✓ Explore Early modern
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Topics
Details
- Published
- 2013
- Publisher
- Palgrave Macmillan
- ISBN-13
- 9781137345592
- ISBN-10
- 1137345594
- Pages
- 389
- Language
- EN
