Thoreau's Ecstatic Witness

by Alan D. Hodder

At the heart of Thoreau's life were episodes of exhilaration in nature that he commonly referred to as his ecstasies. Hodder explores these representations of ecstasy throughout Thoreau's writings from the riverside reflections of his first book through Walden and the later journals, when he conceived his journal writing as a spiritual discipline in itself and a kind of forum in which to cultivate experiences of contemplative non-attachment. In doing so, Hodder restores to our understanding the deeper spiritual dimension of Thoreau's life to which his writings everywhere bear witness.

Genres: Spirituality

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about the spiritual side of Henry David Thoreau. With great sensitivity and scholarship Hodder has reviewed Thoreau's published works and journals to uncover the intimate relationship he had with the divine, with nature, and with God. Thoreau's "ecstacy" was the way he lived and looked for truth in these relationships.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and insightful exploration of Thoreau's spirituality. Hodder examines Thoreau's writing as elegy, his relationship with Eastern religious traditions, as well as: sound, language, and, of course, the natural world.