Poetics as Praise: ‘Theology and Literature’, Shakespeare and Doxology
This essay challenges the assumption that ‘theology and literature’ deals with two sealed off orders of words, the former establishing a doctrinal ground to which the latter provides merely comparative or corroborative material. It argues instead that language itself, understood as a theological phe...
| Subtitles: | Metaphysics and Poetics |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2024
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| In: |
Modern theology
Year: 2024, Volume: 40, Issue: 1, Pages: 46-62 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | This essay challenges the assumption that ‘theology and literature’ deals with two sealed off orders of words, the former establishing a doctrinal ground to which the latter provides merely comparative or corroborative material. It argues instead that language itself, understood as a theological phenomenon, provides the ground through which these two disciplines coincide. This phenomenon can be encountered through a doxological reading of literature, in which the original presence of the Word in words can be encountered as a gift which calls for counter-gifts. Looking at recent forays into Shakespeare criticism that engages with theology, I argue that a ‘secular’ conception of language prevents readers from encountering this theological phenomenon in the play. Through Oliver-Thomas Venard's theological reading of Rimbaud, I show that even fiercely secular poetry seems inhabited by a call to recover a connection between words, world and the transcendent. Drawing on Nicholas of Cusa to argue that this connection is ultimately found in doxology, I conclude with a reading of King Lear which, both epitomising and supplementing this approach, shows that the play is inhabited by a call to find once again the profound connection between word and gift, and thus world and God. |
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| ISSN: | 1468-0025 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Modern theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/moth.12836 |