This book presents a historically and critically nuanced study of George Herbert's biblical poetics. Situating Herbert's work in the context of shifting ideas of biblical mystery, Gary Kuchar shows how Herbert negotiated two competing impulses within post-reformation thought—two contrary aspects of reformation spirituality as he inherited it: the impulse to certainty, assurance, and security and the impulse to mystery, wonder, and wise ignorance. Through subtle and richly contextualized readings, Kuchar places Herbert within a trans-historical tradition of biblical interpretation while also locating him firmly within the context of the early Stuart church. The result is a wide ranging book that is sure to be of interest to students and scholars across several different fields, including seventeenth-century studies, poetry and the bible, and literature and theology.
Gary Kuchar
Calvinism reformation jacobean st. augustine protestantism George Herbert Biblical Poetics Poetry and the Bible Mysterion Poetry and Certainty historical formalism Herbert and Puritanism Herbert and Error Herbert and Post-Revisionist Historiography
“Kuchar does put unique voices into dialogue with the Herbert corpus and his exploration of the interplay between dogmatic and mystical Christianity offers a fruitful jumping-off point for future studies. … Herbert scholars and scholars of seventeenth-century religious culture will certainly find considerable value in this work.” (Brad Pickens, Anglican Theological Review, Vol. 102 (1), 2020)
“George Herbert and the Mystery of the Word makes a welcome turn in cultural studies, successfully reinstating a category and a mode of reading … the theological and phenomenological peripheries offered will make this text valuable to read for all who study Herbert’s poetry.” (Jonathan Nauman, Seventeenth-Century News, Vol. 77 (1 – 2), 2019)
“This is a book rife with gems of conceptual, interpretive, and historical insight. … it is a valuable rethinking of the complexity of the EnglishReformation, as well as a welcome broadening of our understanding of what literary responses to doctrinal matters can entail.” (Ryan Netzley, Journal of British Studies, Vol. 57 (4), October, 2018)
“By establishing George Herbert’s position within a hermeneutic tradition to which the idea of mystery is central, Kuchar generates a fresh understanding of how Herbert’s writings responded to the challenges of their historical moment – and of what they might mean for ours.” (Ken Graham, University of Waterloo, Canada)