Tarah Leake
A popular theme in British literature exemplified during Anglo-Saxon era, the Medieval era, and again in the Neoclassical era was that of religion. During the Anglo-Saxon era, life was heavily affected by the threat of conquest and war as seen through the Norman Conquest. Possibly because of the lingering presence of death, people gravitated toward old, recited tales and religious works. Christianity helps spread literature, and oral traditions unite groups of people. A popular piece of literature from this era is the Junius Manuscript, which is similar to today’s well-known Message Bible. The manuscript contained a poetically-rephrased account of Scripture passages and lessons. Editors have titled the four sections of the manuscript “Genesis,” “Exodus,” “Daniel,” and “Christ and Satan.” The first three express poetic adaptations of the popular Old Testament narratives. The fourth division of text combines several New Testament occasions, both real and prophesied, which feature moments of Christ’s victory over Satan. This compilation helped artistically capture God’s word in a way that had not commonly been done until then.
Another example of Old English literature was that of the monk, Bede, known more commonly as The Venerable Bede. He authored many works that helped frame a religious outlook on the occurrences of this world and provide moral instruction. Religion’s influence in British literature did not cease after the Norman invasion; it continued into Middle English, better known as the Medieval era.
The Medieval era brought an even stronger focus on religious devotion and instruction. As the Crusades began to take shape, Christians were expected to prove their obedience and loyalty to God. People would not be willing to sacrifice their lives for God’s will if they could not understand exactly what His will was. Illiteracy was common in these times, especially regarding the complex text of Scripture. Wishing its authority to thrive, the Church began to instruct its members through morality and miracle plays making it far easier to comprehend for those who could not read the word themselves. The Church was not alone in its pursuit of righteousness; several other works of literature focused on cultivating positive, moral habits although not necessarily religious ones. An example of this is Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This ballad proposed many moral notions such as hospitality toward others, loyalty in friendship (to the point of sacrificing your life for another’s), and steadfastness in one’s promises.
As the Church gained power and influence, it became naturally susceptible to corruption, as any institution would be. When the institution that should display the highest levels of integrity and morality, as they taught to others, began falling into the deceit of wealth and power, an English poet and author would take note. Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales, came from a religious upbringing and Catholic school. When he was older, Chaucer became an esquire to King Edward III and rose up to the point of engaging in a few diplomatic journeys on the King’s behalf. Chaucer’s experience not only allowed him to be awakened to the crime and extortion within the government, but his religious childhood also contributed to his ability to identify the fraud happening within the Church. In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses the traditional style of oral storytelling to convey his disapprovals of the lack of morality in society. As the pilgrims tell their stories, some characters seem to have no purpose while others seem to represent either moral characteristics Chaucer praises or fraudulent, hypocritical ones Chaucer detests. He especially focuses on those in the Church who are bribed with money and more concerned with women than helping people, such as the Friar and Pardoner. Chaucer however does acknowledge the Church is not completely devoid of good people, as seen with the Parson, who is decent and dedicated to his congregation. However, it is not difficult to perceive Chaucer had a fairly condescending view of the Church.
Religion in British literature reappears during the Neoclassical era roughly two hundred years after Chaucer’s tales are published. The Neoclassical era brings about the Age of Enlightenment and with it a dramatic shift in society’s focus to glorify man. The Age of Enlightenment emphasizes reasoning and logic as being the most powerful aspects of mankind. Man arises on the highest pedestal and this requires mankind to unite and harmonize since they are the most perfected and intelligent species. Although it should unite the masses, instead the Age of Enlightenment causes a division in the people as those considered more intelligent and logical view themselves higher than the rest. The entirety of the government’s role shifts from being less consumed with regulating its populace and more concerned with protecting the rights of man and property. This shift demonstrates a need for God’s reality more than ever. Authors and poets alike begin dedicating works to bringing the light of righteousness back into their people’s dark hearts.
Mankind was completely consumed with itself, so an obvious demand for humility and reassessment asserts itself. Author John Milton steps in and answers this call for a reevaluation of values in life. Milton starts at the beginning of time with his famous epic poem Paradise Lost. Through Paradise Lost, Milton wishes to accurately express the story of how man fell so far from God’s grace and transgressed his will for a bite of fruit, and how Jesus offered himself in man’s place. Although Milton does utilize creative freedom, he depicts the events in Scripture in an easily understood and conceivable manner, without at all discrediting the intended message. Paradise Lost benefits readers of any century by helping to identify just how imperfect man is and how fortunate he is Christ took God’s wrath in his place. One can only imagine the illuminating impact this book would have had on a people whose society was overtly captivated by exalting human will, a complete contradiction of religious morals and God’s will.
In 1749, roughly eighty years after Milton published Paradise Lost, Samuel Johnson wrote a poem entitled “The Vanity of Human Wishes.” In this poem, Johnson illustrates the futility of the carnal pursuit of greatness and happiness in this material world. He compares well-known, wealthy figures in society with commoners and scholars. He explains no matter what social class someone thrives in, everyone experiences disappointment and dissatisfaction in life because everyone is human. This world will never completely please mankind because it was not created for that purpose. This example of Johnson’s work is heavily influenced by Old Testament values and Ecclesiastes’s chapter one message of the downfalls of vanity. Throughout the early 1750s, Johnson reached his career climax writing over two hundred entries of his famous periodical, The Rambler. As the title suggests, his writings were often random in style and topic, but he clarified that no matter what topic he discussed, it would be centered on stimulating wisdom in readers with a tone consistent with God’s word. Johnson’s wise, straightforward expression of the importance of eternal value over earthly value would have been especially significant for those alive during his time of the Enlightenment. Unfortunately, much of his work would not reach popular levels of interest for years to come.
God’s will shall be done no matter what humans decide they want to happen. Each time mankind has slipped away from God’s set morals and laws, He finds a way to call them back to Him. The beauty and intrinsic value of literature is simply one of the many avenues for God to reach His people, as seen through His inspired, written Scripture. When faced with the threat of death and war, God offered his promises for Christ’s victory and goodness in the Junius Manuscript and the writings of the Venerable Bede. When the centuries uncovered a side of both Church and man that was bloodthirsty and power-hungry, God gifted individuals like Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, and Samuel Johnson with spiritual vision. Chaucer recognized the bribery spreading throughout the Church prevented them from placing God’s will above all else as they should. As the Enlightenment blinded humanity with false goals of personal success and material happiness, John Milton creatively captured the essence of God’s undeserved grace provoking an admittance of humility within its readers. Johnson, inspired by his wife’s religious devotion, used his poetic insight to convey to people that no matter the social class every person is composed of the same ingredients and all will experience defeat in this broken world. Mankind simply cannot glorify itself and its own needs, because everything about this world is flawed and imperfect.
In the midst of chaos and moral obscurity, God never abandoned His children, working through the incredible works of British authors and poets to answer the calls of His people.
Bibliography
http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195396584/obo9780195396584-0145.xml
Redeeming Pandora 