Was John Milton-possibly the most famous 'Christian' poet in English literary history-an atheist? Among the author's goals in The Atheist Milton is to account for tensions over the idea of God which, in Bryson's view, go all the way back to Milton's earliest poetry. In this study, he argues such tensions are central to Milton's poetry-and to any attempt to understand that poetry on its own terms. 'Michael Bryson has written a brilliant, unusually unified, and utterly iconoclastic book that demands we reread Milton and reconsider our most settled beliefs. The Atheist Milton will be essential reading for anyone interested in Milton's final three poems.' Peter C. Herman, Professor of English, San Diego State University, USA and author of Destabilizing Milton: 'Paradise Lost' and the Poetics of Incertitude and co-editor of The New Milton Criticism 'Bryson makes an argument that scholars should not ignore. As such, it is an important contribution to Milton studies.' Renaissance Quarterly '...a clever, informed, and engaging book that should be read by all Miltonists.' Notes and Queries