John Donne (1572-1631) in the company of Augustine: patristic culture and literary profession in the English Renaissance

There is a general agreement among modern scholars that St. Augustine exercised a powerful influence over J. Donne. By what means and in what manner did Donne become acquainted with Augustine's writings and thought? How much of this knowledge of his literary oeuvre was obtained at first hand? A samp...

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Bibliographic Details
Author:Mark Vessey
Published: S.n., s.l., 1993
Volume:XXXIX
Pages:173-201
Periodical:Revue des Études Augustiniennes
Number:1
Format:Article
Topic:- Influence and Survival > Early Modern Period (1453-1789) > [Donne (John, 1572-1631)]
Status:Needs Review
Description
Summary:There is a general agreement among modern scholars that St. Augustine exercised a powerful influence over J. Donne. By what means and in what manner did Donne become acquainted with Augustine's writings and thought? How much of this knowledge of his literary oeuvre was obtained at first hand? A sample analysis of Donne's prose works from the years immediately preceding his ordination in 1615 reveals a general familiarity with the 'Confessions' and some awareness of the main tenets of the 'De doctrina christiana'. It appears that Donne drew heavily on Augustinian precept and example in order to reconcile his own literary and social aspirations with the office of an Anglican churchman.

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