Sacred Demonization: Saints' Legends in the English Renaissance

accepted Actes Ages anti-saints appears authority Becket become believers biblical bishop body called carnival carnivalesque Catholic century character Christ Christian church claim collective communication concept concerning considered contains Counter-Reformational course death demonic described discourse divine early Elizabethan England English especially evangelical example fact faith figure fire folly fool Foxe Foxe's God's godly hagiographic hand historical holy human important instance interpreted John king language laugh laughter legends lives Lord manner martyr material means medieval metaphor Middle miracles misrule More's namely narrated narrative nature occurs paradox person plays position practices present protagonists Protestant reader reference Reformational religion religious remarkable Renaissance role Roman Roman Catholic sacred biography sainthood saints seems sense served significance similar social speaks spiritual stand story suffering suggests symbolic texts theology Thomas tion tradition ungodly victims vitae writings