Agreed with pretty much everything you're saying here. I think it's good, though, that Kingsnorth and Shaw were baptized into the historic Church—exactly because there is power in speaking from within an embraced tradition rather than as an outsider.
Also, I worry a little about how to check the validity of intuition. For example, based on some recent conversation, I feel inclined to consider again that there was more to the relationship of Jesus and Magdalene, and maybe even to the very nature of Magdalene herself. It sure makes poetic and intuitive sense. But I am uncertain about how to tell history apart from mythopoesis, or even from pure fantasy and flight of fancy. If we don't accept tradition as a baseline of history, then it is difficult to see how we avoid a total free-for-all (but I guess we're there already, so facts have superseded theory).
Also, I am of the opinion that the Schism never happened, on the grounds that no one had the legal authority to enact it. There: a pharisaic answer to a pharisaic problem.
For those interested in Hölderlin - beyond his own great poems and the novel "Hyperion," of course - I highly recommend Giorgio Agamben's "Hölderlin's Madness: Chronicle of a Dwelling Life, 1806–1843," just released in English translation earlier this year.
Agreed with pretty much everything you're saying here. I think it's good, though, that Kingsnorth and Shaw were baptized into the historic Church—exactly because there is power in speaking from within an embraced tradition rather than as an outsider.
Also, I worry a little about how to check the validity of intuition. For example, based on some recent conversation, I feel inclined to consider again that there was more to the relationship of Jesus and Magdalene, and maybe even to the very nature of Magdalene herself. It sure makes poetic and intuitive sense. But I am uncertain about how to tell history apart from mythopoesis, or even from pure fantasy and flight of fancy. If we don't accept tradition as a baseline of history, then it is difficult to see how we avoid a total free-for-all (but I guess we're there already, so facts have superseded theory).
Also, I am of the opinion that the Schism never happened, on the grounds that no one had the legal authority to enact it. There: a pharisaic answer to a pharisaic problem.
The strongest evidence for Christianity is its unity, even when it’s seemingly completely absent.
For those interested in Hölderlin - beyond his own great poems and the novel "Hyperion," of course - I highly recommend Giorgio Agamben's "Hölderlin's Madness: Chronicle of a Dwelling Life, 1806–1843," just released in English translation earlier this year.
Whoa! Hadn't heard!
P.S. Didn't know where else to ask this: Is the Regeneration podcast defunct? Haven't seen any new episode updates for almost a month. :)
We just finished recording one (should be out later today). Mike's been preoccupied with his daughter's wedding etc.
A remarkable poem, Michael. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you
Michael, is there a specific work and translation of Hölderlin that you would recommend starting with?
Sorry it's taken me so long to respond! The only one I know is that by Michael Hamburger. It also has the German.