While a great deal has been written about the Reformation(s), the effects of the momentous religious changes of this era on families, especially families divided by faith, is an understudied topic. This essay focuses on the Jesuit Robert Southwell (1561–95) and his pastoral and literary mission to England in the late sixteenth century. The central focus is Southwell’s letter to his father, who, unlike most of his family who remained Catholic recusants, had conformed to the Established Church. At the heart of Southwell’s rhetorical strategy is a juxtaposition of the father/ son relationship, in which the biological son assumes the role of the spiritual father. By means of his literary and theological gifts as a priest, and his love as a son, he eventually wins his father back to the faith—and to the family. Over many decades, Southwell’s writings had a significant impact, not only on his own relatives, but on the wider Catholic and religious culture.

虽然关于宗教改革的文章很多，但这个时代重大的宗教变革对家庭的影响，尤其是因信仰而分裂的家庭，是一个未被充分研究的话题。本文重点介绍耶稣会士罗伯特·绍斯韦尔（Robert Southwell，1561–95 年）和他在 16 世纪后期到英国的牧灵和文学使命。中心焦点是绍斯韦尔写给他父亲的信，与他的大多数仍然是天主教徒的家庭不同，他已经遵守了国教。Southwell 修辞策略的核心是父子关系的并置，亲生儿子扮演精神父亲的角色。凭借他作为牧师的文学和神学天赋，以及作为儿子的爱，他最终赢得了父亲的信仰和家庭。几十年来，