Allegory and Spiritual Instruction in Early Modern English Sermons (en Inglés) - Taylor Fisher

The study of early modern English sermons opens a window onto a world in which preaching was not merely an intellectual exercise or a rhetorical performance but a central instrument in the formation of Christian souls. In an age marked by confessional conflict, political upheaval, and profound spiritual anxiety, the sermon became a privileged site where Scripture was interpreted, doctrine defended, and the moral life shaped. Allegory-far from being a decorative flourish or a vestige of medieval imagination-remained one of the most potent tools available to the preacher. It allowed him to unveil the deeper mysteries of the faith, to connect the visible and the invisible, and to guide his hearers toward a fuller participation in the divine life. From a traditional Catholic perspective, allegory was not an optional embellishment but a mode of reading and teaching that flowed naturally from the Church's understanding of Scripture as a living, sacramental reality. The early modern period, with all its tensions and transformations, did not extinguish this tradition; rather, it forced it to adapt, to defend itself, and in some cases to flourish in unexpected ways.

To appreciate the role of allegory in early modern English sermons, one must first understand the theological and exegetical foundations upon which it rested. The spiritual senses of Scripture-literal, allegorical, tropological, and anagogical-had been articulated by the Fathers and developed throughout the medieval period. They were not arbitrary inventions but expressions of the Church's conviction that the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, contained depths that could not be exhausted by the surface narrative alone. Allegory, in this context, referred not to fanciful reinterpretation but to the recognition that the events, persons, and institutions of the Old Testament prefigured and found fulfillment in Christ and His Church. This typological vision shaped the homiletic tradition for centuries, enabling preachers to draw connections between the sacred history of Israel and the spiritual journey of the Christian soul. When early modern English preachers-Catholic, Anglican, Puritan, or otherwise-turned to allegory, they were participating in a long and venerable lineage.