Marlowe's Literary Scepticism Politic Religion and Post-Reformation Polemic [Hardcover]

Winner of the Roma Gill Prize 2015,Marlowe's Literary Scepticismre-evaluates the representation of religion in Christopher Marlowe's plays and poems, demonstrating the extent to which his literary engagement with questions of belief was shaped by the virulent polemical debates that raged in post-Reformation Europe. Offering new readings of under-studied works such as the poetic translations and a fresh perspective on well-known plays such asDoctor Faustus, this book focuses on Marlowe's depiction of the religious frauds denounced by his contemporaries. It identifies Marlowe as one of the earliest writers to acknowledge the practical value of religious hypocrisy, and a pivotal figure in the history of scepticism.

An original exploration of the ways in which religion and religious issues are presented and challenged in the drama and poetry of Christopher Marlowe.

Introduction
Marlowe the Atheist
Equivocation, Dissimulation and Deceit
Conversion and Conformity
Oath-taking and Oath-breaking
The Religious Rebel
Radicals and Regicide
Marlowe's Legacy
Bibliography
Index

Chloe Preedy is a teaching associate at the University of Cambridge.