Paradise Lost by Alan Jacobs

Paradise Lost by Alan Jacobs

The life and times of Milton’s epic poem about Satan’s revolt against God and humanity’s expulsion from paradise

John Milton’s Paradise Lost has secured its place in the pantheon of epic poems, but unlike almost all other works in the pantheon, it is intimately associated with religious doctrine and its implications for how we live our lives. For more than three centuries, it has been a flashpoint for arguments not just about Christianity but also about governance, rebellion and obedience, sexual politics, and what makes poetry great. Alan Jacobs tells the story of Milton’s enduring poem, shedding light on its composition and reception and explaining why it resonates so powerfully with us today.

Composed through dictation after Milton went blind in 1652, Paradise Lost centers on an ancient biblical answer to the eternal question of how evil came into the world. It has proved impossible to disentangle the defense or critique of the poem from attitudes toward Christianity itself. Does Christian theology entail monarchy or democracy? Are relations between the sexes thwarted by pompous and tyrannical men or by vain and disobedient women? Jacobs traces how generations of readers have grappled with these and other questions, along the way revealing how Milton’s poem influenced novelists like Mary Shelley and Philip Pullman and has served as the inspiration for paintings, operas, comic books, and video games.

An essential companion to Milton’s poetic masterpiece, this book shows why Paradise Lost continues to serve as a mirror reflecting our own complex attitudes about power and authority, justice and revolt, and sin and salvation.

"A concise summary of Paradise Lost as a work of theological and social inquiry, together with its literary impact" * Kirkus Reviews *

Alan Jacobs is Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Honors Program at Baylor University. His many books include Breaking Bread with the Dead and The “Book of Common Prayer”: A Biography (Princeton). His writing has appeared in leading publications such as The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, and the Atlantic.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780691238579
ISBN 10	069123857X
Title	Paradise Lost
Author	Alan Jacobs
Series	Lives Of Great Religious Books
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Princeton University Press
Year published	2025-06-03
Number of pages	224
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.