author
1609–1678
A 17th-century religious controversialist, he wrote with the learning of an Oxford scholar and the intensity of a convert. His books took on some of the fiercest arguments of his time, especially the divide between Catholic and Protestant thought.
by R. H.
Educated at University College, Oxford, he became a fellow there and later served as proctor. During travels abroad in the mid-1640s, he began moving toward Roman Catholicism, a change that shaped the rest of his writing.
He is best remembered as a prolific religious polemicist. Writing in an age of sharp confessional conflict, he produced a large body of work defending Catholic positions and challenging Protestant arguments.
There is some uncertainty around the name behind the initials "R. H." in older book records, but the dates 1609–1678 match Abraham Woodhead, an English writer and convert whose works were often printed in controversial religious contexts.