Queenly Philosophers by Jane Duran

Author:Jane Duran
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Lexington Books, a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2012-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Part of what is most helpful here is Harrison’s use of the phrase “simple Gospel message of the earliest Christians.” As we know, and as the New Testament makes clear, much of what transpired during the early eras of Christianity, and especially in the period of Christ’s life and immediately after, had a great deal to do with one Christian discussing the message with another, or with Christians trying to transmit the message abroad. (We often forget, for example, that the books Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians of the New Testament were letters by Paul to Christian communities in the relevant parts of Greece.) So it is not at all remarkable that Elizabeth and Dudley might have discussed religious matters in the spirit of the reformers—indeed, it would be surprising if they did not. We have no way of knowing, of course, how much such discussion took place. But religion was so central to the time—as Meyer remarked, individuals “really believed”—that it would indeed be remarkable if no such discussions happened. Robin’s personal characteristics notwithstanding, there is no reason to think that persons as well educated as these individuals were did not discuss theology.

A more intriguing set of questions revolves around possible intellectual relationships between Elizabeth and her favorite women at court, because we tend to see these women—Kat Ashley, for instance—as more friends in the sisterly or even motherly sense, and it is somewhat difficult to move beyond that.[65] But again the key point here is not so much any relationship, or set of relationships, as it is the general tenor of the times and what may have taken place because of that tenor.

We know of the intense relationship between Ashley and Elizabeth during the latter’s young girlhood—or what today would be termed teenage years—and we know that she was involved, in a variety of ways, in the furtive attempts of Seymour to ingratiate himself with Elizabeth, behavior that today would be thought of as abusive. What may not be so obvious is that, again, Ashley had religious beliefs of her own, and because of her proximity to Elizabeth these beliefs may have had a more powerful effect on her that some have thought. Of this period, when it was also the case that some believed that Elizabeth was involved in a plot to unseat Mary, Williams writes:

Yet this time there was no danger of Elizabeth going to the Tower, for she was in far too strong a position. . . . Mistress Ashley was arrested. . . . She denied all knowledge . . . [66]

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