The Poem as Sacrament

The Theological Aesthetic of Gerard Manley Hopkins

By (author) P. Ballinger

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Extent: 260 pages

Publisher: Peeters Publishers

Subjects: Language & Linguistics, Religious Studies

Series: Louvain Theological & Pastoral Monographs

Series volume number: 26

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(March 2000)

ISBN: 9789042908079

Price: $27.00

On back order

Through a study of the writings and intellectual development of Gerard Manley Hopkins, Dr. Philip Ballinger demonstrates why poetry is, as Hans Urs von Balthasar stated, “the absolutely appropriate theological language”. While circling Hopkins’ visions of the nature of sensual experience, intuitive cognition, and the function of language, Ballinger focuses upon the sacramental intention of the Victorian Jesuit’s poetry. Underlying Hopkins’ poetry is a vision of reality as divinely revelatory or ‘self-expressive’. For Hopkins, this revelatory character of creation is determined by the incarnation, and beauty, in fact, is a word for ‘Christic self-expressiveness’.

  • By (author) P. Ballinger