Description
Book SynopsisJane Leade (1624-1704) is probably the most prolific woman writer and most important female religious leader in late seventeenth-century England, yet, she still remains relatively unknown. By exploring her life and works as a prophetess and mystic, this books opens a fascinating window into the world of a remarkable woman living in a remarkable age. Born in Norfolk into a gentry family, Jane Leade enjoyed a comfortable childhood, married a distant cousin, who was a merchant, and had four children. However, she found herself totally destitute in London when he died, his fortune having been lost abroad. As a widow, she proclaimed herself to be a `Bride of Christ'', and eventually became a prolific author and a respected blind, elderly leader of a religious group of well-educated men and women, known as the Philadelphian Society. The structure of this book is informed by the chronological events that happened during her life and is complemented by examining some of the material she publ
Table of ContentsContents: Introduction; Norfolk's child to 'Bride of Christ'; John Pordage: a spiritual mate; Searching for GO(L)D: spiritual alchemy; Visions of Sophia; Mystical marriage; The Philadelphians' prophetess; The second coming; The healing angel; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.
