| Politics, Patronage, and Orthodoxy shows how the practice of orthodox spirituality becomes a politicized concept in the literature of late-medieval England. The Lancastrian family, in particular, patronizes orthodox culture and poetry in order to strengthen their ties with the Church, while the late-medieval Church simultaneously uses the Lancastrians as a symbol of orthodox devotion in a time of religious crisis in England. These interdependent phenomenon can been seen throughout literary texts ranging from Chaucer's An ABC, Hoccleve's Complaint of the Virgin Before the Cross , and historiographical sources as well as in medieval architecture, manuscripts, and performances. Whereas most studies of the Lancastrian kings focus on their patronage of secular literature, Politics, Patronage, and Orthodoxy demonstrates that the Lancastrians supported the creation and dissemination of orthodox literature, and offers a new way of examining late-medieval religious texts, patronage, and the political ramifications therein. |
