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Excerpts
from a review of the Spanish edition (Rameras de Babilonia:
historia cultural Del anticatolicismo en la Inglaterra Tudor)
in Sederi 18 (2008: pp. 181–185), published by Ediciones
Universidad de Salamanca
Fighting the Antichrist
analyzes the discourse against Catholicism from the breach from
Rome in 1534 until the death of Elizabeth I in 1603. Cultural representations
of Catholicism were decisive in creating and moulding the perceptions
that many Englishmen had of the new Anglican Church and its alleged
enemies. Such perceptions were essential not only in promoting policies
against English Catholics, but in shaping English national identity.
… Anti-Catholic propaganda elaborated a stereotype of the
Catholic that converged with other negative cultural types common
in the period, such as that of the lazy, lecherous monk, the cruel
Spaniard, the seductive and deceitful Jesuit and the Machiavellian
schemer (the last three enjoying special popularity in the second
half of the Elizabethan period). These stereotypes allowed anti-Catholics
to send a clear message to their Protestant countrymen: that Catholicism
was a devilish, corrupt foreign power that could undermine the most
basic pillars of English society – their Church and State.
… Dr Álvarez-Recio explores a wide number of texts of different
genres in order to determine their contribution to the aforementioned
cultural image of the Roman Catholic Church in England. Special
attention is paid to political and doctrinal plays and pamphlets,
given their appeal to different social groups and their role in
creating a new public opinion. Other kinds of material that are
also considered include chronicles and private letters, fragments
of royal proclamations, and descriptions of royal entries and coronations.
All these texts offer a wide spectrum of responses to the Catholic
question and assist in understanding the role of anti-Catholic discourse
in royal iconography. Originally published in Spanish by Ediciones
Universidad de Salamanca, the volume provides an inter-disciplinary
approach, addressing issues such as the formation of public opinion,
the influence of imperial discourse, and the overriding role of
religion in nationalist issues.
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List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Prologue
chapter one
Anti-Catholic Discourse during the Reigns of Henry VIII
(1509–1547) and Edward VI (1547–1553)
Crisis of Succession and the Reason of State
From Anticlericalism to Anti-Catholicism: Origins of the
Catholic Stereotype
chapter two
Mary I (1553–1558) and the Discourse of Victimhood
The Return to Catholicism and the Spanish Threat
Anti-Catholic Pamphlets: An Admonitory Discourse
Dramatic Literature: The Dark Side of the Reformation
chapter three
Elizabeth I (1558–1579): A Failed Attempt at Reconciliation
The Iconographic Construction of Elizabeth I and its Anti-Catholic
Implications
The Quest for Internal Religious Conformity and the European
Political Crisis
Responses to the Status Quo: Propaganda and Representation:
The Pope’s Renewed Role as Protagonist in Pamphlet Literature
Anti-Catholic Theatre and Doctrinal Problems
chapter four
Elizabeth I (1580–1603): Gloriana and the Victory
of Protestantism
The Apogee of the Elizabethan Status Quo
Reformist and Catholic Discourse in the Face of Accusations
of Disloyalty
Elizabeth I as Head of European Protestantism
The Triumph of Gloriana
Pamphlet Literature in the Second Phase of Elizabeth’s
Reign: The Multiple “Other”
The Society of Jesus
The Spanish Stereotype and the Black Legend
The Imperial Image of Elizabeth I
Anti-Catholic Discourse and the New Theatre
Anti-Catholic Discourse at Court
Anti-Catholic Discourse in Public Theatres
An Example of Anti-Catholic Discourse in the Private Theatre
Epilogue: Nostalgia for Elizabeth and Anti-Catholic Discourse
Notes
Recommended Reading
Index
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“Rameras de Babilonia is the culmination
of several years of research in which Leticia Álvarez Recio
has studied the articulation of anti-Catholic sentiment in Early
Modern England. In this book she approaches the development of this
topic throughout the Tudor period, when its most important features
and clichés were created and used in a wide variety of discourses.
One of the novelties of this study is precisely the type of texts
subject to analysis: pamphlets and plays. Disparate though they
are in their nature, in their rhetoric, and in the way in which
they interact with their audiences, Álvarez Recio manages
to demonstrate the connection between them and how they supplement
and influence each other in their depiction of anti-Catholic characters.
…The
method used by the author in order to make evident the relation
of these genres combines diverse approaches: historical, rhetorical,
iconographical and doctrinal. On the one hand, the detailed historical
introductions to every period covered in the study supply the context
the reader needs for a better understanding of the texts; the doctrinal
information also serves similar purposes. On the other hand, rhetoric
and iconography are not only background knowledge, but also interpretive
methods that intend to disclose the devices by which pamphleteers
and playwrights changed the meaning and intention of previously
used symbology – sometimes even appropriating their opponents’
discourse.
…Álvarez
Recio examines the most relevant events of the century for the creation
of the anti-Catholic discourse, paying especial attention both to
religious circumstances and to political milestones such as the
victory over the Spanish Armada – seen by Protestant authors
as an expression of God’s support to the Queen. Far from simplifying
and reducing the complexity of this type of tests, the book Rameras
de Babilonia faces the complexities, inconsistencies and paradoxes
of the works under study and tries to explain them as part of the
intricacies of the period.” Ana Sáez Hidalgo, University
of Valladolid
“A welcome addition to the studies of Tudor history and literature. ... The book's
greatest strength is Álvarez-Recio's choice of sources. Performative theater and printed pamphlets permit her to
present a greater cross section of anti-Catholic discourse.
Overall, this work allows for a deeper understanding of
the birht pangs of the English Protestant Reformation.” Sixteenth Century Journal
“This salient study engages the reader with insight and
includes a plethora of useful notes and the necessary catalogs
of relevant acts and laws that enforced anti-Catholic strategies.” Religion
and the Arts
Reviewed in the Huntington
Library Quarterly, vol. 75, no. 4.
Reviewed in the Journal of British Studies, vol. 51, no. 4.
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Publication Details
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Hardback ISBN: |
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978-1-84519-427-7 |
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Page Extent / Format: |
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272 pp. / 229 x 152 mm |
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Release Date: |
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February 2011 |
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Illustrated: |
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Colour plate section |
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Hardback Price: |
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£49.95 / $69.95 |
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