Making Women Martyrs in Tudor England

Making Women Martyrs in Tudor England examines the portrayal of Protestant women martyrs in Tudor martyrology, focusing mainly on John Foxe's Book of Martyrs . Foxe's women martyrs often defy not just ecclesiastically and politically powerful men; they often defy their husbands by chastising them, disobeying them, and even leaving them altogether. While by marrying his female martyrs to Christ Foxe mitigates their subversion of patriarchy, under his pen his heroic women challenge the foundations of social and political order, offering an accessible model for resistance to antichristian rule. Making Women Martyrs in Tudor England provides the first book-length examination of the portrayal of Protestant women martyrs in Tudor martyrology. It explores the work of John Foxe, the most important reformation martyrologist, whose women martyrs often appears as surprisingly disorderly figures. By fully contextualising his work in English Protestant discourse, about the Apocalypse, the Antichrist, the true and false churches, and the rejection of the institution of clerical celibacy, Megan L. Hickerson shows how Foxe's women martyrs resist not just the authority of ecclesiastically and politically powerful men; more significantly, they often defy their husbands by chastising them, disobeying them, and even leaving them altogether. While by marrying his female (and male) martyrs to Christ in his text Foxe mitigates their violation of the ethic of patriarchal marriage, under his pen his heroic women challenge the foundations of social and political order, offering an accessible model of resistance to antichristian rule Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-17 Ecclesia and Pornapolis: Two Churches, Two Women....Pages 18-41 The Troublesome Mrs Kyme: John Bale’s Disorderly Virgin....Pages 42-72 Gospelling Sisters and Women ‘Goinge up and Downe’: Foxe and his Detractors....Pages 73-102 Mrs Prest’s Heavenly Husband....Pages 103-127 Mrs Prest and the True Church: the Necessity of Disobedience....Pages 128-159 Conclusion....Pages 160-179 Back Matter....Pages 180-239 Megan L. Hickerson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 223-234) And Index.