Pastoral Care through Letters in the British Atlantic

Pastoral letters were a literary genre that contributed to early modern practices of caregiving, negotiating political oppression, geographical isolation, and colonial experimentation. They created new bureaucratic and pastoral structures and entanglements between Protestant believers and others across the British Atlantic, revealing the contentious balance between care and cure.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 14 September 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Selecting the appropriate words is a form of caregiving in and of itself. By examining correspondence archives, pastoral letters emerge as a unique literary genre that played a multifaceted role in early modern practices of caregiving, navigating political oppression, geographical isolation, and colonial experimentation. The exchange of letters facilitated the solicitation, provision, and reception of care through the material technology of the letter, constituting it as a literary artifact. This exchange led to the establishment of new bureaucratic and pastoral structures, as well as intricate entanglements between Protestant believers and individuals from diverse backgrounds across the British Atlantic. Furthermore, the letters reveal the complex interplay between care and cure within early modern communities, highlighting the delicate balance between these two aspects of human well-being.

Pastoral care involves the exercise of power, as epistolary exchanges sustain, exploit, shape, and distort the spiritual and material well-being of individuals and communities within a landscape characterized by religious division, enslavement, and imperial expansion. These exchanges create a complex web of relationships and interactions that shape the lives and experiences of those involved.

In conclusion, the study of pastoral letters provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of caregiving, power, and the intersection of religion, politics, and geography in early modern societies. By examining the material technology of the letter and the epistolary exchanges it facilitated, we can better understand the ways in which individuals and communities navigated the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

Weight: 138g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 8 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108970464