<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>This paper aims to shed light on the ways in which politics can be a site of temptation for Christians. In the first part, it explores the circumstances in which John Milton wrote <italic>Paradise Regained</italic>, printed in 1671. The poem may be understood, in part, as Milton’s reflection on the failed politics of the Republic in which he had played a leading role as a civil servant and one of the Republic’s chief propagandists. The second part of the argument offers a reading of Milton’s poetic account of the story of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, which interprets Jesus’ temptations politically as a series of attempts by Satan to deflect Jesus’ messianic identity, revealed at his Baptism, from its true course.</p></abstract>

This paper aims to shed light on the ways in which politics can be a site of temptation for Christians. In the first part, it explores the circumstances in which John Milton wrote Paradise Regained, printed in 1671. The poem may be understood, in part, as Milton’s reflection on the failed politics of the Republic in which he had played a leading role as a civil servant and one of the Republic’s chief propagandists. The second part of the argument offers a reading of Milton’s poetic account of the story of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness, which interprets Jesus’ temptations politically as a series of attempts by Satan to deflect Jesus’ messianic identity, revealed at his Baptism, from its true course.

The temptations of politics: Jesus’ temptation and ours in John Milton’s <italic>Paradise Regained</italic>

Holiness

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The temptations of politics: Jesus’ temptation and ours in John Milton’s 

This paper aims to shed light on the ways in which politics can be a site of temptation for Christians. In the first part, it explores the circumstances in...

The temptations of politics: Jesus’ temptation and ours in John Milton’s Paradise Regained

Published Online: Apr 05, 2020

Page range: 187 - 209

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/holiness-2016-0005

Keywords
KINGDOM OF GOD, JOHN MILTON, POLITICS, SATAN, TEMPTATION

© 2016 Stephen J. Plant, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The temptations of politics: Jesus’ temptation and ours in John Milton’s Paradise Regained

Published Online: Apr 05, 2020

Page range: 187 - 209

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/holiness-2016-0005

KeywordsKINGDOM OF GOD, JOHN MILTON, POLITICS, SATAN, TEMPTATION

© 2016 Stephen J. Plant, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
KINGDOM OF GOD, JOHN MILTON, POLITICS, SATAN, TEMPTATION