Latitudinarianism and Didacticism in Eighteenth-century Literature

Download or read book Latitudinarianism and Didacticism in Eighteenth-century Literature written by Patrick Müller and published by Peter Lang. This book was released on 2009 with total page 430 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The relationship between Latitudinarian moral theology and eighteenth-century literature has been much debated among scholars. However, this issue can only be tackled if the exact objectives of the Latitudinarians' moral theology are clearly delineated. In doing so, Patrick Müller unveils the intricate connection between the didactic bias of Latitudinarianism and the resurgent interest in didactic literary genres in the first half of the eighteenth century. His study sheds new light on the complex and contradictory reception of the Latitudinarians' controversial theses in the work of three of the major eighteenth-century novelists: Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, and Oliver Goldsmith.