John Donne published this work in 1610, at a moment of extreme political tension between London and Rome. It was an attempt to convince English Roman Catholics that they could remain loyal to the spiritual authority of Rome and still take the oath of allegiance to the British Crown and avoid persecution. Donne, brought up as a Catholic and trained as a lawyer, argued his case by appealing to precedents from the body of canon and civil law in existence since the beginning of Christian civilization. "Pseudo-martyr" is thus a vast survey of relations between church and state from the days of the early church to 1600. Donne also drew detailed historical parallels between crises in medieval and contemporary times and the particular dilemma of Catholics in England to prove that a compromise of loyalties was possible and acceptable. The work was Donne's first published book and the only one he wrote as a lawyer. It is also an autobiographical document which reveals how Donne resolved his own lapse from Catholicism so that he could remain loyal to the king. A descendant of Thomas More's sister, Donne had inherited a rich tradition from the Counter-Reformation, which he sought to reconcile with the political absolutes of his day. This edition of the work sets it in its historical context and provides commentary on the quotations and references given by Donne in the main body of the text and its margins.
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"This book will contribute substantially to the study of Donne and his historical moment ... Raspa has demonstrated the extraordinarily meticulous attention of both Donne and his printer to the presentation and correction of the text ... Raspa's edition will offer students access to an essential text for understanding Donne's thought and development." Lindsay A. Mann, Department of English, Carleton University.
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