Britannica
Sources used in this answer
Which book by William Law influenced Samuel Johnson’s religious life at Oxford?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
While an undergraduate at Pembroke College, Oxford, Samuel Johnson read William Law’s book A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life (1728).1
Although Johnson had previously considered himself irreligious during his adolescence, this work profoundly impacted him, leading him to make the concern for his soul the central focus of his life.1