John Donne: In the Shadow of Religion explores the life of one of the most significant figures of the English Renaissance. The book not only provides an overview of Donnes life and work, but connects his writing and thinking to the ideas, institutions and networks that influenced him. The book shows how Donnes faith underpinned his career, from aspirational courtier to phenomenally successful clergyman and preacher, when he became dean of St. Pauls Cathedral. Donne emerges as a figure obsessed with himself, tormented by the fear that his transgressions may have condemned him to eternal damnation. This fine new account uses Donnes correspondence, writing and poetry to give a rounded portrait of a bold, experimental thinker, who was never afraid of taking risks that few others would have countenanced.