Writing religious identities in Bedford
Writing religious identities in Bedford
Exemplary lives in historical perspective
Though John Bunyan maintained a critical distance from what he took to be a conventionalized story form, his Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners became the paradigmatic Protestant conversion narrative. Further, its deep epistemological uncertainty gives it an important place in the history of differentiation between human and divine authorities. But Grace Abounding is seldom studied for an understanding of the relations between individual and communal identities. This chapter studies Bunyan as a member of a specific community in formation and under duress. With John Gifford, the chapter illustrates the communal investments in an exemplary life. With Agnes Beaumont and John Child, it details the prices exacted for deviations from that model. With the bookseller Francis Smith, it examines arguments for the liberty of conscience and resistance to the Clarendon Code.
Keywords: John Bunyan, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, Agnes Beaumont, John Child, Francis Smith, Clarendon Code
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .
