Religio Medici

by Thomas Browne

Assigned by 1 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only

Written
1643 (written c. 1635)
Form
Essay
Language
English
Length
Short · 100 ppunder 120 pages
Difficulty
Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader

We recommendReligio Medici and Urne-BuriallNew York Review Books, 2012Stephen Greenblatt and Ramie Targoff's edition, with the notes that Browne's Latin and learning require.

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A confession of faith by a young Norwich physician, written for himself around 1635, printed without his consent in 1642 and authorised in 1643. In the first part Browne describes a religion that reconciles the new science with the Church of England, delights in mysteries, and loves to lose himself in an O altitudo. In the second he treats charity and his own temperament. The book is prized for its slow, Latinate prose and its tolerant curiosity about everything.

No reading guide yet

The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Religio Medici are verified against each program's published list.

What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.

Browse the 48 works that do have a guide →

The Religion of a Physician, Norwich, physician, faith and reason, O altitudo, charity, Church of England, Baroque prose, Sir Thomas Browne