Date of Award
Summer 8-12-2014
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
First Advisor
Reiner Smolinski
Second Advisor
Mark Noble
Third Advisor
Robert Lightsey
Abstract
Edward Taylor indicates an awareness of 17th century religious melancholy in his "Preparatory Meditations," but the minister is largely excluded from current discourse surrounding religious melancholy in Puritan communities. Taylor's presence in this conversation serves to further understanding of religious melancholy in America and also of the complex nature of the condition that is of interest at the present time. Through an analysis of dominant images of the conversion experience from Edward Taylor's poetry, this thesis argues that Taylor provides intimate knowledge of the nature of religious melancholy and also offers a treatment option for the ailing Puritan in the form of hope for salvation.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/5815345
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Sheena K., "The Nature of Religious Melancholy: Edward Taylor's Poetic Treatments of a 17th Century Epidemic." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2014.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/5815345