Radicals in Exile: English Catholic Books During the Reign of Philip II (Iberian Encounter and Exchange, 475–1755)

Facing persecution in early modern England, some Catholics chose exile over conformity. Some even cast their lot with foreign monarchs rather than wait for their own rulers to have a change of heart. This book studies the relationship forged by English exiles and Philip II of Spain. It shows how these expatriates, known as the “Spanish Elizabethans,” used the most powerful tools at their disposal—paper, pens, and presses—to incite war against England during the “messianic” phase of Philip’s reign, from the years leading up to the Grand Armada until the king’s death in 1598. Freddy Cristóbal Domínguez looks at English Catholic propaganda within its international and transnational contexts. He examines a range of long-neglected polemical texts, demonstrating their prominence during an important moment of early modern politico-religious strife and exploring the transnational dynamic of early modern polemics and the flexible rhetorical approaches required by exile. He concludes that while these exiles may have lived on the margins, their books were central to early modern Spanish politics and are key to understanding the broader narrative of the Counter-Reformation. Deeply researched and highly original, __Radicals in Exile__ makes an important contribution to the study of religious exile in early modern Europe. It will be welcomed by historians of early modern Iberian and English politics and religion as well as scholars of book history. Cover Page Title Page Copyright Page Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: History in Action 1. The Radicalization of Exile Polemic 2. Calling the Armada 3. English History Made Spanish Conclusion to Part I Part II: The King’s Men 4. English Voices in Spain 5. An Anglo-Spanish Voice in Europe 6. Between “English” Providentialism and Reason of State Conclusion to Part II Part III: (Habsburg) England and Spain Reformed 7. Politics of Succession 8. Practical Politics and Christian Reason of State Conclusion to Part III Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index "Examines how English Catholic exiles in Spain used print and other written media to promote the conquest of England and the spiritual renewal of Christendom"-- Provided by publisher