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PROMPT: Jean Calvins doctrine of predestination is a major feature both of Calvinism and of reformed Christianity in England. This is the belief that one is destined either for salvation or damnation prior to birth, and that one cannot intervene in ones own state of salvation. In that way, you might expect Early Modern reformed thinkers to feel powerless, hopeless, or out of control. The same can be said of Early Modern women who, while not powerless or entirely at the mercy of men, held far less control over their own lives than men had over theirs (they typically held no post, no property, and were subject to the rule of their fathers, husbands, and sons). In the works of Anne Vaughan Lock and Aemilia Lanyer that you read for this week, where do you find signs that the authors feel powerless to control their fates? Where do you see them attempting to take control? How do you think this doubling of powerless feeling affected Early Modern women? What role does writing have in demonstrating control or a lack thereof? Purchase the answer to view it
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