Prophecy and the Politics of Salvation in Late Georgian England The Theology and Apocalyptic Vision of Joanna Southcott

by Niblett, Matthew

• ISBN13: 9781780768786
• ISBN10: 1780768788
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-02-20
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris

Summary

Joanna Southcott (1750 – 1814) remains one of the most significant and extraordinary religious figures of her era. In an age of reason and enlightenment, her apocalyptic prophecies managed to attract tens of thousands of followers, and she captured international attention with her promise to bear a divine child. In this new intellectual biography Matthew Niblett unravels Southcott's writings, her context and her message to demonstrate why the prophetess was such a magnetic figure and the significance of her role in British religious history. Using a wide range of contemporary sources, this revealing study explains the formation of Southcott's apocalyptic theology, her treatment of the Bible, her relation with the Church, the network of clerical supporters she used, and the striking originality of her message. In so doing, this book shines fresh light on religion and the politics of salvation in late Georgian England.

Author Biography

Matthew Niblett is Research Associate at Keble College, Oxford, UK.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. From Maidservant to Prophetess: Southcott's intellectual formation
2. The Woman and the Dragon: Creation, Evil and Redemption
3. The Word of the Lord: Scripture, Prophecy and Hermeneutics
4. Unto the Churches: Anglicans, Dissenters, and the sealed believers
5. Travailing in Birth: The Shiloh and Southcott's Millennium
6. Epilogue: The Remnant of her Seed
Conclusion
Appendix 1: Timeline of Southcott's life and writings
Appendix 2: Biographies of Key figures
Bibliography
Index