Talk:Thomas Traherne
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I've read that Traherne's work so closely links God and his creation that he might as well be a Pantheist. He is quoted by cleargy who have a new age philosophy because of this. Recently a friend of mine brought a book over that seemed to be addressed to Evangelical Christians that had a Traherne quote in it. I'd love to hear from others who have definite thoughts about Traherne and what philosophies his work is used to support.
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[edit] Traherne a Pantheist?
Pantheist? Remember that he is grouped in with the Metaphysical poets, as the entry makes clear, and their work is often known for its complicated (forced?) metaphors which makes a close reading of the whole work a requirement before making a judgement such as the above. Taking sentences out of context can be misleading especially with such an original poet as Traherne. As far as his personal beliefs--from his more polemical writings it seems clear he was firmly in the camp of the Church of England. He has had a great influence in the 20th century due to his rediscovery, ie. C.S. Lewis often refers to him. I think if one reads Samuel Johnson's defense of Traherne's contemporary Thomas Browne with regards to his Orthodoxy it could as easily apply to Traherne himself.
[edit] Traherne and pantheism
I can see why Traherne might be used by some to suppport pantheism. He says bold and imaginative things about God's revelation in and through the created world. Taken out of context these quotes might sound 'pantheistic'. The real question when judging whether or not it is 'safe' to read someone though is surely not what teachings their writings are used to support (anything can be made to support anything if it is twisted enough) but what teachings and writings have informed their work in the first place. Traherne's sources are many and varied. His most frequently quoted source is the Bible, after which he relies on the Church Fathers, and the traditional teaching of the Christian Church. The interface between Scripture and reason is a huge part of his dialogue. The newest manuscript discoveries of his work show him to be very interested in doctrinal debates such as the Calvinist/Arminian debate and the Pelagian heresy. He is deeply imbedded in the Christian tradition and goes to some length to defend orthodox Chrisitan doctrine.
[edit] Saints banner and category
Based on this individual being included in the Calendar of saints (Anglican Church of Australia), I am adding the Category:Anglican saints and the Saints WikiProject banner to this article. I am awaiting reliable sources which can be used to add the content to the article. John Carter 16:58, 29 June 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Confusion over dates
I'm confused. The passage beginning "His poems have a curious history" suggests that they weren't published before they were found on a market stall in the 1890s. Then we have a reference in the Influence section which says that the character of Thomas Clarkson quotes from (and correctly attributes) one of the poems in a recent film. Our article on Thomas Clarkson says he died in the 1840s. I presume this is just an anachronism in the film. But if so, what's the point in including it in this article? Or did the poems circulate before they were found on this market stall?
Telsa (talk) 12:11, 14 October 2007 (UTC)
- The quote in the film comes from the poem The Salutation which was first published by Dobell in 1903. Clarkson cannot have known the poem from a published source, so it must therefore be an anachronism. But I suppose it says something about the impact of Traherne's poetry on English literature that it is so generally assumed that his works must have been widely known long before the 20th century. To quote another line from The Salutation: "Behind what curtain were you hid from me so long!" Man vyi 15:32, 14 October 2007 (UTC)
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- I see, thanks. Yes, I agree. I came across Traherne some years ago, and it never occurred to me that it had been rediscovered (discovered, even?) in this way. I am inclined to remove the reference from the "influences" section, though, as it seems as though the influence was on the scriptwriter rather than the historical character. Telsa (talk) 06:23, 15 October 2007 (UTC)
