Sacred culture : religion and aesthetics in Barbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys

This project examines the role of religion in the cultural politics of the Romantic era. Though previous studies have explored the influence of radical, plebeian religion on Barbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys, they have not situated these Romantic writers' discourse within the broader field of cultural production that includes conservative religious discourse. By doing so, I unfold the pervasive connections between culture, religion, and aesthetics in the Romantic era. I demonstrate how conservative religious discourse of this era aesthet~cizes social power through an emphasis on manners and taste. Such religious discourse thus works to internalize dominant social values more effectively by making them appear less coercive. This study traces the way in which the presumably more radical religious discourses ofBarbauld, Blake, and the Shelleys similarly aestheticize social power and advocate hegemonic values.