Spiritual Autobiography

Literary/ Cultural Context Essay

Stuart Sim (University of Sunderland)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.04: English Writing and Culture of the Seventeenth Century, 1625-1688.
Vol. editors: Jennifer Brady (Rhodes College), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Neil Forsyth (Université de Lausanne), Claire Preston (Queen Mary, University of London), J A Roe (University of York), Virginia Mason Vaughan (Clark University)

Domains

Dissenters

Dates

Date of occurrence 1600-1750

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Genres and Modes

Autobiography (any)

Spiritual autobiography is a non-fictional form which rose to prominence in seventeenth-century England, although its roots can be traced as far back as such works of the early Christian tradition as St. Augustine’s Confessions. The form’s basic concern is to trace the progress of an individual believer from a state of sin to a state of grace, where the conviction takes hold that salvation has been guaranteed by God. Given the concentration on the individual, the form appealed most to Protestants, in particular the more militant sectarian movements (Baptists, Quakers, etc.) who broke away from the Church of England over the course of the seventeenth century - a period of marked religious division in English history. Aside …

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1152 words

Citation: Sim, Stuart. "Spiritual Autobiography". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 January 2001 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1377, accessed 26 November 2024.]

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