This book places George Herbert's writing and biography within the history of social and economic change in 17th-century England. Drawing on the works of Max Weber, Raymond Williams, and the Protestant preachers of the period, Malcomson (English, Bates College) argues that the doctrine of vocation is the shaping principle of and , which coordinate inward devotion with outward social role like the soul within the body. She gives special consideration to issues of subjectivity, social mobility, and class. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR