Well, our month of looking at George MacDonald is now finished, and to conclude it here is an essay I have written on MacDonald’s work. We have been focusing here through August on MacDonald’s poetry, but his work was far broader than that, so this essay considers not only his poetry but also his manyContinue reading “George MacDonald and the Regenerated Imagination”
Category Archives: Essays
Christina Rossetti: Love Lies Bleeding
Sadly, my month of working with Christina Rossetti’s poetry must come to an end. To finish up the month, here is an essay I have written on her poetry. It is an early draft of a chapter towards a larger book I am writing about the power of writing in the Christian life; this meansContinue reading “Christina Rossetti: Love Lies Bleeding”
Ann Griffiths: The Beloved on the Sacred Mountain
To conclude my month of working with the poetry of Ann Griffiths, here is an essay reflecting on her writing. I am wary of adding my ill-informed contribution to the little available about her online, but I hope that it might still open her work up to those who are interested; she truly is worthContinue reading “Ann Griffiths: The Beloved on the Sacred Mountain”
William Cowper – The Waiting Soul
To finish off my month of looking at William Cowper, here is an essay that I have written on his life and work – an attempt to draw together the threads of life that was simultaneously dark and beautiful. I hope you find it a helpful read. William Cowper – The Waiting Soul
George Herbert – The Broken Altar
As April comes to an end, my time spent with the poetry of George Herbert also comes to its conclusion. Here is the essay that I have written, reflecting on Herbert’s work and his influence on me. I hope you enjoy reading it. The Broken Altar
21 Consolations
Today is the first anniversary of The Consolations of Writing. To celebrate, and to thank all of you for supporting my blog over the past year, I’ve put together a collection entitled “21 Consolations” – an essay and 20 poems reflecting on and reflecting the comforts of the written word. I hope you like it.Continue reading “21 Consolations”
Apathy, Writer’s Block, and All the Things We Can’t Put to Words
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the willContinue reading “Apathy, Writer’s Block, and All the Things We Can’t Put to Words”
The Vocabulary of Grace: Why Literature Needs God Now More Than Ever
The lady who runs my local second-hand bookstore is always up for a chat. A few weeks ago I popped into the shop with my friend Nat when I saw that Marilynne Robinson’s first novel, Housekeeping, was available for $2. Nat has read more of Robinson’s work than I have, so when the lady inContinue reading “The Vocabulary of Grace: Why Literature Needs God Now More Than Ever”
True Community and the Humility of Being Honest
Here is a piece I have written about the difficulties we feel, especially in church communities, with being honest about how we are feeling. I hope it is helpful. True Community and the Humility of Being Honest
New text message discovery gives fuel to millennium debate
An article in today’s Age Online, reporting the discovery of a 4th century manuscript claiming that Jesus had a wife, annoyed me sufficiently to prompt this short newspaper article of my own. I only hope that all new archeological discoveries are allowed to challenge long-held axioms in the way that the Age has let thisContinue reading “New text message discovery gives fuel to millennium debate”
The Consolations of Writing 