Reformation Spirituality: The Religion of George Herbert

by Gene Edward Veith Jr.

Description: George Herbert, in his poetic skill and the depth of the spiritual experiences he explores, may be the greatest of all religious poets. This is a study of the specific religious experiences and beliefs that Herbert writes about, both in his poetry and in his prose. As such, it also examines the spiritual landscape of seventeenth-century England, a period, for all of its controversies, still dominated by the understanding of God and the human condition articulated by Martin Luther and systematized by John Calvin. Reformation spirituality, which was different both from medieval Catholicism and late Protestantism, is itself little understood by literary historians, who have tended to look to medieval or Counter-Reformation ideas and practices or to a simplistic distinction between ""Anglicans"" and ""Puritans"" as ways of understanding the religion of the time. This study presents Reformation spirituality phenomenologically, from the inside. Just as Reformation spirituality reflects Herbert's poetry, Herbert's poetry illuminates Reformation spirituality, showing the experiential and mystical dimensions of an important religious tradition. Endorsements: For the reader who wants to understand George Herbert's unique Protestant aesthetic, Gene Veith's Reformation Spirituality is indispensible reading. Theologically alert, historically aware, and artistically generous, Veith's book helped to dispel many foggy and anachronistic notions about Tudor-Stuart religion when it first appeared a generation ago, and its strong, steady light still shines. ""Is there in truth no beauty?"" Herbert provocatively asks in ""Jordan I."" Veith's emphatic answer is, Very much indeed. -Christopher Hodgkins, University of North Carolina at Greensboro -Co-Founder, The George Herbert Society -Author, Authority, Church, and Society in George Herbert: Return to the Middle Way Veith's book is a scrupulous and sensitive reading of the protestant spirituality underlying much of Herbert's poetry - particularly helpfully identifying parallels with Calvin's theology - and constitutes an important contribution to scholarship on the early modern English devotional lyric. -Helen Wilcox, Professor of English, Bangor University, Wales -editor, The English Poems of George Herbert (Cambridge University Press, 2007) About the Contributor(s): Dr. Gene Edward Veith is Provost and Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College. He is the author of 18 books on topics involving literature, Christianity and culture, classical education, theology, and the arts. They include Reading Between the Lines, Painters of Faith, Postmodern Times, Classical Education, Loving God With All Your Mind, and The Spirituality of the Cross.

Genres: Poetry, Christian, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1985

About the author

Gene Edward Veith Jr., is the Culture Editor of WORLD MAGAZINE. He was formerly Professor of English at Concordia University Wisconsin, where he has also served as Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences. He is the author of numerous books, including Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture, The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals, and God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life.

Postmodern Times received a Christianity Today Book Award as one of the top 25 religious books of 1994. He was named Concordia's Adult Learning Teacher of the Year in 1993 and received the Faculty Laureate Award as outstanding faculty member in 1994. He was a Salvatori Fellow with the Heritage Foundation in 1994-1995 and is a Senior Fellow with the Capital Research Center. He was given the layman’s 2002 Robert D. Preus Award by the Association of Confessional Lutherans as “Confessional Lutheran of the Year.”

Dr. Veith was born in Oklahoma in 1951. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1973 and received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Kansas in 1979. He has taught at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College and was a Visiting Professor at Wheaton College in Illinois. He was also a Visiting Lecturer at the Estonian Institute of Humanities in Tallinn, Estonia. He and his wife Jackquelyn have three grown children and live in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This study of George Herbert's Calvinism is a wonderful book. Veith is a convinced Lutheran, which means his accomplishment here is magnificent. His breadth of understanding when it comes to Calvinist theology is really strong, and he treats it sympathetically and objectively. I was really impressed.

[Caleb Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aims to provide the theological context for Herbert’s poetry. Runs the reformed gamut thoroughly and charitably (as a Lutheran). Yet I found him at his best when he ties Herbert’s own poetry to his sermons and The Country Parson.

Comparing GH to Donne is intriguing for poetry analysis. Maybe he places too heavy emphasis along theological party lines in explaining their different styles themes. Great overall

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veith provides an account of Herbert's Calvinistic credentials through a careful journey through the poems . The comparison with Donne was less convincing at points, but opened new areas to study.