John Milton is one of those people I've occasionally thought I should know more about - as I understand it he was a poet, theologian, political theorist, civil servant who inspired and irritated people in equal measure. Within the Reformed tradition earlier generations revered him enough to name churches or other buildings after him - the Congregational bit of St. Andrew's is one such and the road beside the church is still Milton Street (although I can't work out from the maps whether Milton Street was named before or after the church - I suspect they were named at the same time as they were developed together.) 

Last Wednesday was his 400th birthday and so those that understand him have been reflecting on his writings and influence. Andreas Whittam Smith: Life, liberty and the lesson of Milton contrasts Milton's views on censorship with the latest government rumblings about controlling the media and Celebrating Milton's birthday: on Milton and polit... will point you to Paridise Lost and reflect on his Politics.

Milton confuses me but the more bits I read about him the further he climbs 'the must look at' list.