Ashes of Defiance: Anne Askew and the Fire at Smithfield

“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.” — Song of Solomon 8:7 History is littered with martyrs, but some rise from the ashes not as mournful relics, but as burning questions. Anne Askew — born in 1521 in Lincolnshire, unwilling wife, unyielding believer, and finally unwilling guest at Smithfield’s stake — … Continue reading Ashes of Defiance: Anne Askew and the Fire at Smithfield

A Pathetic and Shadowy Medley: Tolkien’s Catholic Critique of Protestantism

Having spent a considerable amount of time in Durham Cathedral of late, I have also found myself immersed in The Last Office, a compelling work of narrative history that chronicles the sixteenth-century dissolution of the monasteries - most notably, Durham itself. Meanwhile, like many in recent years, I have been hearing the ever-growing clamour for reparations, … Continue reading A Pathetic and Shadowy Medley: Tolkien’s Catholic Critique of Protestantism