Thomas Tymme and Natural Philosophy: Prophecy, Alchemical Theology, and the Book of Nature
Prophecy was a major theme in the early published writings of the English clergyman Thomas Tymme (d. 1620). However, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Tymme replaces his prophetic writings with Paracelsian alchemical studies. This article suggests that a relationship existed between proph...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
1999
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
Year: 1999, Volume: 30, Issue: 4, Pages: 987-1007 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | Prophecy was a major theme in the early published writings of the English clergyman Thomas Tymme (d. 1620). However, at the beginning of the seventeenth century, Tymme replaces his prophetic writings with Paracelsian alchemical studies. This article suggests that a relationship existed between prophetic and devotional literature and Tymme's alchemical studies, and places Tymme's Paracelsian alchemical studies within the larger context of his devotional writings. Alchemy allayed the fears and concerns that Tymme expressed in his earlier work; therefore, his alchemical writings were invested with profound eschatological and apocalyptic significance. Tymme's alchemical studies also led him to consider whether or not the Book of Nature was the more perfect expression of God's Word than the Book of Scripture. His alchemical studies anticipated the erosion of the position and status of the Bible in natural philosophy in the late seventeenth century. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2544608 |