Tag Archives: Religion

I Sing of a Maiden

Spiritual Sunday Here’s a lovely spring poem from the Middle Ages about the conception of Jesus. Jesus enters Mary as “stille” (quietly) as April dew falls upon the grass. Mary is described as “makelees,” an adjective which (according to the Norton Anthology of British Literature) is a three-way pun: spotless, matchless, and mateless. I love how […]

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Becoming a Window through Thy Grace

Saint Chapelle in Paris Spiritual Sunday George Herbert is the author of this lovely 17th-century poem about stained glass windows.  As so often with this humble Anglican rector, he is filled with self doubts, seeing himself as “brittle crazy glass,”  and wonders how anyone can be worthy enough to preach God’s eternal word.  But he […]

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Butterfly Wings, Easter Transformation

Spiritual Sunday In the Episcopal church we are still in the season of Easter, which is coinciding this year with a particularly beautiful spring.  I’ve therefore chosen another Easter poem for “Spiritual Sunday.” This is an emblem poem by my favorite religious poet, George Herbert.  It is entitled “Easter Wings”: Lord, Who createdst man in […]

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Chaucer’s Answer to Catholic Corruption

Like many, I have been appalled at the non-stop stories of abuse coming out of the Catholic Church and depressed by the Church’s response.  The latest egregious example of the latter is the pope’s personal preacher comparing newspaper accusations of the pope to the persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust. Calling Geoffrey Chaucer, to […]

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God Send Easter–and Hats

Spiritual Sunday/ Easter With this post I am beginning a new series, to appear each Sunday, on literature and spirituality.  There is much great literature that speaks directly to religious and spiritual matters, and this gives me an extra opportunity to share some fine poems.  At present I am anticipating that these posts will involve […]

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Glorify Easter, Not the Crucifixion

Film Friday When Mel Gibson’s The Passion was released in theaters in 2004, Bjorn Krondorfer, my good friend and colleague in the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Religious Studies Department, wrote the following powerful critique of the film.  Bjorn’s article is as relevant today as it was in 2004.  In his view, the film elevates […]

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A Poem for Those that Feel Unloveable

I can think of no better poet to move us into Holy Week than George Herbert, a 17th century Anglican rector who wrestled mightily with a sense of his unworthiness. In his poetry, Herbert is determined to be as honest about his doubts as possible.  He is not a facile Christian.  When he believes that […]

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Mix and Match: Mysticism American Style

There was an interesting Lenten column in the New York Times Monday. Ross Douthat, a conservative in the best sense, draws on a Commonweal article by theologian Luke Timothy Johnson criticizing contemporary spiritual practice in this country. From the way Douthat quotes him, it sounds as though Johnson might take exception with my criticism of harsh […]

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Sinning: A Tacky Floor Show

There’s a funny scene in the original Bedazzled (the 1967 film with Dudley Moore, not the one with Adam Sandler) where Moore, having sold his soul to the devil, is watching a particularly tawdry floor show in a seedy bar where he can’t get good service.  As I recall the film, the seven deadly sins […]

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