Wordsworth's Philosophic Song

Wordsworth's Philosophic Song PDF

Author: Simon Jarvis

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2006-12-21

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9781139462662

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Wordsworth wrote that he longed to compose 'some philosophic Song/Of Truth that cherishes our daily life'. Yet he never finished The Recluse, his long philosophical poem. Simon Jarvis argues that Wordsworth's aspiration to 'philosophic song' is central to his greatness, and changed the way English poetry was written. Some critics see Wordworth as a systematic thinker, while for others he is a poet first, and a thinker only (if at all) second. Jarvis shows instead how essential both philosophy and the 'song' of poetry were to Wordsworth's achievement. Drawing on advanced work in continental philosophy and social theory to address the ideological attacks which have dominated much recent commentary, Jarvis reads Wordsworth's writing both critically and philosophically, to show how Wordsworth thinks through and in verse. This study rethinks the relation between poetry and society itself by analysing the tensions between thinking philosophically and writing poetry.

Idolatry and Authority

Idolatry and Authority PDF

Author: Richard Liong Seng Phua

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2005-12-04

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 0567289109

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1 Cor 8.1-11.1 is concerned with the subject of idolatry in first-century Christianity and ancient Judaism. Jews and Christians differ over what constitutes idolatry and even within ancient Judaism and early Christianity there was no consensus. In this book, a set of definitions are created which are applied to the examination of the various relevant Diaspora Jewish literature, inscriptions and papyri, and finally the NT passage. This examination reveals different attitudes adopted by different Jews towards idolatry, which serve as parallels to the three positions in 1 Cor 8.1-11.1, 'the strong', 'the weak', and Paul. The resolution of the issue of idolatry lies in the question of who determines what is idolatrous and what constitutes proper Christian behaviour. This is accomplished through a comparison and contrast between leadership structures within Diaspora Jewish assemblies and the Corinthian church. Almost all the definitions of idolatry set up are operative in Paul, whose way of resolving the issue of idolatry is by appeal to biblical history. By insisting on his authority as the founding apostle and father of the Corinthian church, Paul can issue the injunction to the 'strong' to flee from idolatry because idolatrous behaviour would incur the wrath of God and lead to God's punishment, which is the loss of one's eschatological salvation. For the Diaspora Jews, the 'final court of appeal' was the law; but for the Corinthian church, the authority Paul sets up is Christ, the gospel, salvation, and Paul himself as the founding apostle.