S t G erman, C hristopher

Abstract

Christopher St German (c.1460–1540/41), a legal theorist and Reformation controversialist, has traditionally been of interest to historians and legal scholars. However, in recent years an increasing number of literary scholars – especially those interested in Reformation politics and the intersection of law and literature – have become intrigued by his writings. And these writings continue to grow. For centuries, many of the 16 works attributed to St German by John Bale in 1559 were considered lost, and St German was deemed ‘that most annoying of creatures, a prolific author who published anonymously’ (Rex 2008). But the researches of J. A. Guy (1985) and Richard Rex (2008) have considerably expanded the St German canon, and his oeuvre is being reappraised.