Book contents
- Gerard Manley Hopkins in Context
- Gerard Manley Hopkins in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Notes on Contributors
- Note on Editions and Abbreviations
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Part I Places
- Part II Aesthetic and Cultural Contexts
- Part III Religious, Theological, and Philosophical Contexts
- Part IV Nature, Science, and the Environment
- Part V Gender, Sexuality, and the Body
- Part VI Form, Genre, and Poetics
- Part VII Reception and Influence
- Chapter 35 Modernist Criticism and Poetry
- Chapter 36 Poetic Legacies post 1950
- Chapter 37 Theological Influence
- Chapter 38 The Anthropocene
- Further Reading
- Index
Chapter 37 - Theological Influence
from Part VII - Reception and Influence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 January 2025
- Gerard Manley Hopkins in Context
- Gerard Manley Hopkins in Context
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Illustrations
- Notes on Contributors
- Note on Editions and Abbreviations
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Part I Places
- Part II Aesthetic and Cultural Contexts
- Part III Religious, Theological, and Philosophical Contexts
- Part IV Nature, Science, and the Environment
- Part V Gender, Sexuality, and the Body
- Part VI Form, Genre, and Poetics
- Part VII Reception and Influence
- Chapter 35 Modernist Criticism and Poetry
- Chapter 36 Poetic Legacies post 1950
- Chapter 37 Theological Influence
- Chapter 38 The Anthropocene
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
While Hopkins’s poetry has long ignited the imaginations of religious readers, surprisingly few theologians have engaged deeply with his work. This chapter considers the limited body of theological discourse that engages directly and substantively with Hopkins’s work, focusing on the way that his poetry has been taken up in the field of Christian systematic theology (narrowly conceived). Much of the chapter is dedicated to unpacking a highly influential essay by Swiss theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar. As I demonstrate, while Balthasar’s essay offers numerous valuable insights, it also exhibits several of the most ubiquitous limitations in theological receptions of Hopkins. Thus, at the conclusion of the chapter I propose a way forward for renewed engagement with Hopkins’s theological vision, building on the innovative approach of contemporary Anglican theologian Ben Quash.
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- Gerard Manley Hopkins in Context , pp. 318 - 325Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025