| Sumario: | This study examines the political implications of Protestant sola gratia (grace alone) theology in early modern English literature through close readings of four Protestant poets: Edmund Spenser, Aemilia Lanyer, Abraham Cowley, and John Milton. It argues that, contrary to views of sola gratia as socially liberalizing, these authors largely used grace to envision elitist, nationalist, and masculinist communities rather than egalitarian ones, with Milton portrayed as the most exclusive. The book explores how each poet negotiates grace in relation to issues of gender, patronage, creativity, and political authority, highlighting tensions between ideals of liberty and the realities of social hierarchy. While acknowledging the poets’ claims to promote justice and civic virtue, the study critiques their limited inclusivity and the self-serving nature of their cultural ambitions.
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