‘God made Man Greater when He made Him Lessf’: Traherne’s Iconic Child
Traherne’s child figure has often been read autobiographically and, seen through the misleading lenses of Vaughan and Wordsworth, interpreted as an instance of the author’s failure to treat evil with sufficient seriousness. Against these misconceptions, this article argues that the child is an iconi...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2010
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| In: |
Literature and theology
Year: 2010, Volume: 24, Issue: 3, Pages: 227-241 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Traherne’s child figure has often been read autobiographically and, seen through the misleading lenses of Vaughan and Wordsworth, interpreted as an instance of the author’s failure to treat evil with sufficient seriousness. Against these misconceptions, this article argues that the child is an iconic focus for Traherne’s understanding of the whole shape of human life before God, encompassing the mysteries of sin, grace and future glory, as much as the recollection of lost innocence. Re-reading the familiar poems and Centuries of Meditations in the light of newly published works, we can appreciate Traherne’s standing as a theologian who is both creative and orthodox: a powerful representative of the ‘forgotten strand in Anglican tradition’ that is the doctrine of participation in God. |
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| ISSN: | 1477-4623 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Literature and theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/litthe/frq012 |