Alice Thornton’s Books: God’s Seventeenth-Century Handmaid In brief Date - 21 October 2023 Venue - Durham Cathedral Speaker - Dr Suzanne Trill (University of Edinburgh) Book your ticket on the Cathedral's website About the event As a result of Margaret Atwood’s avowedly dystopian novel, 'The Handmaid’s Tale', along with the ongoing television adaptation of the same name, the title may seem like an inauspicious place to begin. However, Alice Thornton’s seventeenth-century books offer an alternative understanding of this phrase: defining herself as ‘God’s Handmaid’ gives Thornton agency, along with the assurance that God’s providence will protect her throughout the trials and tribulations of this earthly life. Her faith, specifically formulated within the liturgical practices of the Church of England in the 1630s and 1640s, framed her understanding of the events of her life. It is, therefore, no accident that Thornton’s remembrances of God’s deliverances of herself and her family, England and the church are comprised of meditations, prayers and thanksgivings. In this lecture, Dr Suzanne Trill (Head of English and Scottish Literature) will explore why being ‘God’s Handmaid’ was a positive thing for Thornton and discuss what her manuscripts reveal about women's roles within the Church of England during the 17th century. About the speaker Suzanne Trill studied English Literature at the University of Southampton, before pursuing her PhD in Renaissance Women’s Writing at University of Liverpool. With her friends and colleagues Kate Chedgzoy and Melanie Hansen/Obsorne, she co-organised Voicing Women (Liverpool, 1993) which was the first conference in the UK to focus specifically on early modern women's writing. In 1992, she was appointed Lecturer at the Queen’s University of Belfast before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 1997. Since then, she has published widely on early modern women’s writing, helped in part by being the recipient of research awards from the AHRC and the Leverhulme Trust. From 2009-12, Suzanne was Director of Undergraduate Studies for School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures. She then became Head of English and Scottish Literature in January 2023, and is now also Professor of Seventeenth-Century Literature. With Professor Cordelia Beattie in History, she is currently working on an AHRC-funded project to produce a digital edition of the four volumes of Alice Thornton's autobiographical manuscripts (Alice Thornton's Books). Read Suzanne's staff profile How to attend This event is open to all, and costed. It is part of a series of events around the life and work of Alice Thornton. You can also book tickets to the other events in the series. If you book a ticket to all of the events, you will receive a discount off the total price. Book your ticket to Suzanne's lecture Browse the other events on the Cathedral's website Are you interested in English Literature at Edinburgh? We offer a wide range of undergraduate programmes, taught masters, and research degrees, including a Masters by Research and a PhD. As an undergraduate, you will read works of literature written in English from around the world, and encounter a range of ideas about the nature and purpose of literary study. Our courses explore the relationship between literary texts and the construction of national, international and imperial cultures. Working with colleagues in LLC and across the wider University, we are able to support postgraduate research which crosses boundaries between languages and disciplines. Find out more about studying English Literature Related links Visit the Alice Thornton's Books website Oct 21 2023 19.30 - 20.30 Alice Thornton’s Books: God’s Seventeenth-Century Handmaid An in-person lecture by Dr Suzanne Trill (English Literature) in Durham Cathedral on the subject of Alice Thornton's manuscripts and what they can tell us about women's lives in the 17th century. Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Office The College Durham DH1 3EH Find the venue on Google Maps Book your ticket on the Cathedral's website
Alice Thornton’s Books: God’s Seventeenth-Century Handmaid In brief Date - 21 October 2023 Venue - Durham Cathedral Speaker - Dr Suzanne Trill (University of Edinburgh) Book your ticket on the Cathedral's website About the event As a result of Margaret Atwood’s avowedly dystopian novel, 'The Handmaid’s Tale', along with the ongoing television adaptation of the same name, the title may seem like an inauspicious place to begin. However, Alice Thornton’s seventeenth-century books offer an alternative understanding of this phrase: defining herself as ‘God’s Handmaid’ gives Thornton agency, along with the assurance that God’s providence will protect her throughout the trials and tribulations of this earthly life. Her faith, specifically formulated within the liturgical practices of the Church of England in the 1630s and 1640s, framed her understanding of the events of her life. It is, therefore, no accident that Thornton’s remembrances of God’s deliverances of herself and her family, England and the church are comprised of meditations, prayers and thanksgivings. In this lecture, Dr Suzanne Trill (Head of English and Scottish Literature) will explore why being ‘God’s Handmaid’ was a positive thing for Thornton and discuss what her manuscripts reveal about women's roles within the Church of England during the 17th century. About the speaker Suzanne Trill studied English Literature at the University of Southampton, before pursuing her PhD in Renaissance Women’s Writing at University of Liverpool. With her friends and colleagues Kate Chedgzoy and Melanie Hansen/Obsorne, she co-organised Voicing Women (Liverpool, 1993) which was the first conference in the UK to focus specifically on early modern women's writing. In 1992, she was appointed Lecturer at the Queen’s University of Belfast before moving to the University of Edinburgh in 1997. Since then, she has published widely on early modern women’s writing, helped in part by being the recipient of research awards from the AHRC and the Leverhulme Trust. From 2009-12, Suzanne was Director of Undergraduate Studies for School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures. She then became Head of English and Scottish Literature in January 2023, and is now also Professor of Seventeenth-Century Literature. With Professor Cordelia Beattie in History, she is currently working on an AHRC-funded project to produce a digital edition of the four volumes of Alice Thornton's autobiographical manuscripts (Alice Thornton's Books). Read Suzanne's staff profile How to attend This event is open to all, and costed. It is part of a series of events around the life and work of Alice Thornton. You can also book tickets to the other events in the series. If you book a ticket to all of the events, you will receive a discount off the total price. Book your ticket to Suzanne's lecture Browse the other events on the Cathedral's website Are you interested in English Literature at Edinburgh? We offer a wide range of undergraduate programmes, taught masters, and research degrees, including a Masters by Research and a PhD. As an undergraduate, you will read works of literature written in English from around the world, and encounter a range of ideas about the nature and purpose of literary study. Our courses explore the relationship between literary texts and the construction of national, international and imperial cultures. Working with colleagues in LLC and across the wider University, we are able to support postgraduate research which crosses boundaries between languages and disciplines. Find out more about studying English Literature Related links Visit the Alice Thornton's Books website Oct 21 2023 19.30 - 20.30 Alice Thornton’s Books: God’s Seventeenth-Century Handmaid An in-person lecture by Dr Suzanne Trill (English Literature) in Durham Cathedral on the subject of Alice Thornton's manuscripts and what they can tell us about women's lives in the 17th century. Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Office The College Durham DH1 3EH Find the venue on Google Maps Book your ticket on the Cathedral's website
Oct 21 2023 19.30 - 20.30 Alice Thornton’s Books: God’s Seventeenth-Century Handmaid An in-person lecture by Dr Suzanne Trill (English Literature) in Durham Cathedral on the subject of Alice Thornton's manuscripts and what they can tell us about women's lives in the 17th century.
