Richard Smyth and the Language of Orthodoxy: Re-imagining Tudor Catholic Polemicism

In the Tudor struggle for Reformation and Catholic Reformation, for power and for souls, Richard Smyth, theologian and educator, refined the art of polemicism to fight against the advance of heresy at home and abroad, both in the lingua franca of academic circles and the language of his own people. A much neglected voice today, Smyth spoke passionately and influentially on justification, monastic vows, and the Eucharist. He clashed with leading reformers such as Bucer, Cranmer, Jewel and Vermigli in verbal debates and in print. New evidence from Douai shows how he trained and equipped a younger generation to continue the fight. A fascinating and enlightening work for the interested layperson and the expert alike, Dr. Loewe’s study dissects catholic reactions to the religious upheaval in England during the reigns of three successive Tudor monarchs.