I guess my problem here is that the discussion seems framed in antiquarian
frames (Herbert, Milton, et al). Contemporary religious writers are many who
do not either correspond, echo and/or re-work those frames.
Buddhism - in many of its diverse threads - has, for example, been a major
influence on contemporary American writers, just judging by this brief list:
Philip Whalen, Gary Snyder, Armand Schwerner, Diane de Prima, Mary Oliver,
Robert Bly, among many more.
Styles apart, none of these folks can be said write from positions shaped by
language, rituals, etc. of the "high church" - whether it Catholic or
Anglican - tho many come out of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish faiths.
The source/cause of renunciation is probably variously interesting.
The level of commitment/devotion - in both poetry and life practice - is, I
believe, religious, and no less compelling.
And, just thinking about it, after listening and reading the work of Robert
Adamson, isn't there a level of devotion (affirmative) that may be ascribed
as religious? The level of affirmation in the work indicates to me an
implicit belief in something, as well as a desire to impart that to the
listener/reader. But maybe that's just good old fashioned 'joy.'
I don't mean to diffuse the original jar here of the Anglican container.
But I will.
Stephen Vincent
http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
Where "Tenderly" is still fiddling with Stein.
> i think the distinction over religious-spiritual writers is this: are they
> trying to preach at us, set themselves up as priests (not necessarily the
> same as actually being a priest, as R.S.Thomas usually does but doesn't
> always write from a priest-position) and try to make us unhappy, diminish
> our life-force, or are they writers becoming-all sorts of other things, in
> enormous variety, so e.g. Fanny Howe never becomes-priest, and David Jones
> is (as drew milne says) interested in the material history of Catholicism,
> and other poets strongly associated with a faith also give us their best
> work in this latter mode -
>
> really it's not a special case for religious poets at all, i don't think, as
> other poets can take up the same position, a teacher position, and try to
> make us unhappy, proclaim a lack
>
> Edmund
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