George Herbert: The Country Parson and the Temple (Classics of Western Spirituality)

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 384 pages
• Published by: Paulist Press January 1, 1981
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0809122987
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0809122981
• Book Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Book Description
George Herbert (1593-1633) lived in England during the tempestuous reigns of James I and Charles I that saw the nation racked by conflict among Catholics, Hugh Churchmen, and Puritans. A member of a politically-active family, Herbert rejected a promising career as a member of Parliament for the simple life of a country parson. While busily involved in his pastoral duties he produced works of poetry and prose that have earned him a long-established place in English literary history.

Collected here are two works originally published after Herbert's death at Bemerton in 1633: The Country Parson, a prose treatise on the duties, joys, and hardships of a pastor's life; and The Temple, a collection of poems. In them the literary genius of this humble priest whose spirituality was a synthesis of Evangelical and Catholic piety is revealed.

Herbert's appeal for today is summed up by A.M. Allchin in his preface to this volume: "Without glossing over the fragility and brokenness of man's experience of life in time, he managed to reaffirm the great unities of Christian faith and prayer. These are the unities which draw together the separated strands in the Christian heritage, which draw together past and present in a living an creative appropriation of tradition."

Reader Reviews
George Herbert (1593-1633) has long been respected as a clergyman, poet, and spiritual master. Like many clergymen of his day, Herbert owed his position to a certain extent to his political connections - his family had some influence, and indeed, Herbert himself was probably destined for a parliamentary/political career, had another calling not seized him. He became a country parson, which was an ideal setting for Herbert, for it afforded him the time and the environment he needed to delve deeply into the human spirit, and produce works of depth and inspiration that make him an important figure in literary history. Herbert's peaceful musings come at a time when the church in England was going through a tempestuous time. Herbert's poetry and prose strikes a chord with Catholics, Anglicans high and low, and Puritans, in different ways. Herbert's personal devotion and humility shines through his writings, and his works provide material for spiritual direction to a wide range of people to this day. This volume includes two of Herbert's best known works - 'The Country Parson', a prose reflection of Herbert's own work as a pastor, which provides insight into his own spiritual work as well as a snapshot of life in the early seventeenth century, and 'The Temple', a collection of Herbert's poetry. Both works were published only after Herbert's death in 1633. The underlying sensibilities in both prose and poetry are many of the same sources of much of English literary works: the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, the works of Shakespeare, and the rapidly developing English language itself. The ever-shifting ground of political and spiritual realms, together with a rapidly changing intellectual climate, made England a dynamic place in many respects, yet Herbert's works show a permanence and a synthesis of concepts that is almost mystifying when one considers the background. The Paulist Press volume includes a good preface setting the context by Arthur Macdonald Allchin, a residentiary canon of Canterbury Cathedral, and an interesting introduction of historical and literary detail by John Wall, Jr., at the time of writing a professor of English. The book is well indexed, and has a good, useful bibliography. Herbert's work is indispensable for any one looking for a deeper spirituality, particularly within the context of a church community. For those with a suspicion or disdain for church, reading the struggles and honesty of a country parson is worthwhile. This particular volume is a good one for study and reflection. Comment | | (Report this)