I may not be a Christian but I understand and resonate with much of what you say here. I recently read a ‘contemporary Christian novel’ (as I’m studying with a creative writing in spirituality course) and I was surprised at the erotica mixed in with the Biblical references… (Fire Sermon by Jamie Quattro) reading your piece today actually helps the understanding of the novel’s themes I think. Thank you. I’m also drawn to reading Dante as I never have… maybe this will be the year I do?
"Imagine that you have a glass that is empty and one that is a quarter full of water, and you pour water from the full glass into the empty glass, and you now imagine that that this happening does not bring about what usually happens, namely that the glass from which he pours becomes emptier, but that by pouring into the other glass, the glass from which he pours becomes fuller and fuller!
We have to form such allegorical ideas ourselves, without claiming that they are real. If a person always remains within his reason and is aware that his idea is allegorical, he can have a certain feeling about it. This can then express a higher truth, for example about human love.
Love is a concept that is virtually impossible to penetrate. But you can express individual qualities of love in symbols.
He who pours the mild powers of his love into a heart in need of love will notice that he loses none of his power of love, but that through this giving his power becomes greater and greater. He will be able to use the symbol of the glass for this love, which does not become emptier by pouring into another, but fuller.
And when man then draws together all his thoughts, concentrating them on such a symbol, when man has the patience to concentrate his soul forces again and again on such an inner life of thought, then he evokes the slumbering forces from his soul and attains a state in which he becomes a true instrument for beholding the world behind sense perception." (Steiner, GA 69)
"Then, there is Saint Paul’s remark: “marry if you must” (1 Cor 7:8-9). His ambivalence has resulted in sexual relationships being hidden in marriage, hoping that there, they do more harm than good."
I'm wondering if you meant that Paul hoped that sexual relationships might do more good than harm if they were confined to marriage.
At any rate, I love Blake's painting of the Whirlpool of Lovers: they don't remain in their vortex, but eventually fly upwards.
Blake's painting of Beatrice appearing to Dante in her chariot is one of my favorites of all time and, to me, captures the transcendent love that Beatrice must have inspired in Dante's imagination.
My penny's worth on poetry: your ground is well chosen it seems. The overlap of Dante and Giotto, the shift in Christianity, and then Blake another shift. All tribute to Patmos surviving the early brutal assault, reserving the orthodox revelation of judgement, but history takes a turn. And Blake looked into the garden?
I don't wholly get the references, I confess, but imagine there's much shared sense. That said, "sin is behoverly" implies, I think, not a return but new creation. As Blake put it: innocence dwelling with wisdom - after the fruit of the tree has been eaten. Hence, too, in Paradise, Adams tells Dante that their sin was eating too soon - though tis too soon no longer...
Thanks Mark. I will continue to ponder wisdom and innocence of the child. I m reasonably happy, if still out of my depth, and will potter on. You have triggered some encouraging thoughts over time. I have had a timeline in mind and the insertion of profound inner insights (your thought?) into history and Christendom. e.g. Apostle John exiled to the Roman penal colony of Patmos, then the long wait to the Jubilee of 1300 and the poetic and visionary response, and for our time, Blake's poetic visions, very relevant to modern minds it seems.
Sublime.
Thank you from Spain Mark, you are doing an amazing job here on substack
And I ought very true gratitude to substacks algorithm, without it I couldnt have found your posts and your books
Thank you Mark. A difficult topic well explained: “sin is behovable” – that is, our failures are necessary.
To be in a passion much good you can do
But not if a passion is in you!
I may not be a Christian but I understand and resonate with much of what you say here. I recently read a ‘contemporary Christian novel’ (as I’m studying with a creative writing in spirituality course) and I was surprised at the erotica mixed in with the Biblical references… (Fire Sermon by Jamie Quattro) reading your piece today actually helps the understanding of the novel’s themes I think. Thank you. I’m also drawn to reading Dante as I never have… maybe this will be the year I do?
Thanks for saying so and do read Dante!
"Imagine that you have a glass that is empty and one that is a quarter full of water, and you pour water from the full glass into the empty glass, and you now imagine that that this happening does not bring about what usually happens, namely that the glass from which he pours becomes emptier, but that by pouring into the other glass, the glass from which he pours becomes fuller and fuller!
We have to form such allegorical ideas ourselves, without claiming that they are real. If a person always remains within his reason and is aware that his idea is allegorical, he can have a certain feeling about it. This can then express a higher truth, for example about human love.
Love is a concept that is virtually impossible to penetrate. But you can express individual qualities of love in symbols.
He who pours the mild powers of his love into a heart in need of love will notice that he loses none of his power of love, but that through this giving his power becomes greater and greater. He will be able to use the symbol of the glass for this love, which does not become emptier by pouring into another, but fuller.
And when man then draws together all his thoughts, concentrating them on such a symbol, when man has the patience to concentrate his soul forces again and again on such an inner life of thought, then he evokes the slumbering forces from his soul and attains a state in which he becomes a true instrument for beholding the world behind sense perception." (Steiner, GA 69)
"Then, there is Saint Paul’s remark: “marry if you must” (1 Cor 7:8-9). His ambivalence has resulted in sexual relationships being hidden in marriage, hoping that there, they do more harm than good."
I'm wondering if you meant that Paul hoped that sexual relationships might do more good than harm if they were confined to marriage.
At any rate, I love Blake's painting of the Whirlpool of Lovers: they don't remain in their vortex, but eventually fly upwards.
Blake's painting of Beatrice appearing to Dante in her chariot is one of my favorites of all time and, to me, captures the transcendent love that Beatrice must have inspired in Dante's imagination.
Thanks for your thoughtful post!
Forgiveness? Innocence returns?
My penny's worth on poetry: your ground is well chosen it seems. The overlap of Dante and Giotto, the shift in Christianity, and then Blake another shift. All tribute to Patmos surviving the early brutal assault, reserving the orthodox revelation of judgement, but history takes a turn. And Blake looked into the garden?
I don't wholly get the references, I confess, but imagine there's much shared sense. That said, "sin is behoverly" implies, I think, not a return but new creation. As Blake put it: innocence dwelling with wisdom - after the fruit of the tree has been eaten. Hence, too, in Paradise, Adams tells Dante that their sin was eating too soon - though tis too soon no longer...
Thanks Mark. I will continue to ponder wisdom and innocence of the child. I m reasonably happy, if still out of my depth, and will potter on. You have triggered some encouraging thoughts over time. I have had a timeline in mind and the insertion of profound inner insights (your thought?) into history and Christendom. e.g. Apostle John exiled to the Roman penal colony of Patmos, then the long wait to the Jubilee of 1300 and the poetic and visionary response, and for our time, Blake's poetic visions, very relevant to modern minds it seems.