By What Authority? Part III by Robert Hugh Benson is a compelling historical novel set during the turbulent Elizabethan England, a time marked by intense religious persecution. The story delves into the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, illustrating the deep divisions in society. Part III focuses on the spiritual crisis and moral dilemmas faced by the characters as they navigate the dangers of their religious convictions. Catholic recusants risk everything to practice their faith in secret, attending hidden Masses and protecting priests in hiding. The novel explores themes of faith, loyalty, and betrayal, with characters undergoing conversion and redemption as they struggle with obedience to authority, both religious and political. The tension between the Anglican Church and Catholicism is ever-present, and Benson paints a vivid picture of court intrigue and the martyrdom that some must endure in their unwavering stand for their beliefs during this critical historical period.
Robert Hugh Benson was an English Catholic priest and author who lived from 18 November 1871 to 19 October 1914. He began his ministry as an Anglican priest before being welcomed and ordained in the Catholic Church in 1903. He also wrote a lot of fiction, including Come Rack! Come to Rope! and the well-known dystopian novel Lord of the World. His works include current fiction, children's stories, plays, apologetics, devotional writings, and historical, horror, and science fiction. In parallel with rising through the ranks to serve as a Chamberlain to Pope Pius X in 1911 and earning the title of Monsignor before passing away a few years later, he continued his writing career. Benson, the younger brother of E. F., A. C., and Margaret Benson, was the youngest child of Edward White Benson, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his wife, Mary. Robert Hugh Benson attended Eton College for his education before attending Trinity College in Cambridge from 1890 to 1893 to study classics and religion. Benson's father, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, gave him his ordination as a priest in the Church of England in 1895.
