The Review of English Studies Prize Essay: The Satanic ‘or’: Milton and Protestant Anti-Allegorism
In an often quoted but imperfectly understood passage in John Milton’s Paradise Regain’d, Satan professes to doubt whether the kingdom portended for Christ is ‘Real or Allegoric’. This article takes this passage, the only instance of the term allegory in the whole of Milton’s poetry, as a starting point for a reconsideration of Milton’s attitude towards the complex and controversial theological, political, and aesthetic issues raised by this term in early modern Protestant culture. Specifically, the article examines the usage of the term in Milton’s early prose writings and its abandonment from 1645 onwards; Milton’s familiarity with the disputes surrounding Galatians 4:24, a biblical verse of central importance in early modern treatments of the subject; and an overlooked tradition in Protestant commentary according to which allegorical reading was introduced into Christianity by Satan, in order to obscure the true meaning of scripture. Having firmly aligned Milton with the anti-allegorical tendency
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Language in Society
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Editor(s) : Jenny Cheshire, FBA, Queen Mary University of London, UK
Language in Society is an international journal of sociolinguistics concerned with language and discourse as aspects of social life. The journal publishes empirical articles of general theoretical, comparative or methodological interest to students and scholars in sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and related fields. Language in Society aims to strengthen international scholarship and interdisciplinary conversation and cooperation among researchers interested in language and society by publishing work of high quality which speaks to a wide audience. In addition to original articles, the journal publishes reviews and notices of the latest important books in the field, book notes, and occasional theme and discussion sections.