Faith and Doubt of John Betjeman: An Anthology of Betjeman's Religious Verse [Hardcover]

Kevin J. Gardner (Editor, Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2005

Sir John Betjeman was one of the twentieth century's great makers of the Christian imagination. He was maybe the most significant literary figure of our time to declare his Christian faith and his terror of dying. Betjeman used his formidable gifts for poetry to show us how to think about the Anglican faith and about Englishness, and Christianity in general. Here is an anthology of about 75 poems on religious themes, with clarifying footnotes and a critical introduction that offers an overview of his life and poetry, as well as a commentary on some of his more difficult poems. The book is directed at three main audiences: poetry readers unfamiliar with Betjeman and his faith, readers interested in literature from a Christian perspective (C.S.Lewis or George Herbert) and, more narrowly, Christians who may be interested in discovering poetry that explores their faith. Betjeman's poetry has and continues to sell extremely well (Between two and three million copies of his Collected Poems). Here is a new perspective on Betjeman's life and beliefs. This new edition of Betjeman's religious poetry will demonstrate that Betjeman is the great poet of the Church in the twentieth century; it will also introduce delightful, accessible and important poetry to new readers who have not read much of his work. It will suggest to both British and American readers ways of thinking about spiritual, cultural and ecclesiastical matters as well as about the intersection of literature and art.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'anyone who wants to have his or her eyes opened to the presence of God in ordinary life or the significance of the transient and the mundane in the light of eternity would do well to read this anthology...these poems are often movingly honest about his perplexities or his inadequacies, but in the end a hope, often against hope, remains...This selection is thoroughly to be recommended'

(Jeremy Young Search )

Mention in London Review of Books, 21 September 2006

'anyone who wants to have his or her eyes opened to the presence of God in ordinary life or the significance of the transient and the mundane in the light of eternity would do well to read this anthology...these poems are often movingly honest about his perplexities or his inadequacies, but in the end a hope, often against hope, remains...This selection is thoroughly to be recommended'

(, Search ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Kevin Gardner is Professor of English Literature at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He is now writing a scholarly monograph on Betjeman's Christian imagination.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826485782
• ISBN-13: 978-0826485786
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,706,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book--great poetry and great explication, January 28, 2007

By 

Carina E. Gunnerson "knitter4democracy" (Kalamazoo, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faith and Doubt of John Betjeman: An Anthology of his Religious Verse (Paperback)

I'm biased, as I had Dr. Gardner as a professor years ago before he was at Baylor, but I think this is one of the better poetry books I have read in awhile. The explanatory notes are very well done, the poems are organized well, and overall, it's a very strong book. I'm enjoying going through it.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent anthology of Betjeman's religious verse, December 30, 2006

By 

Helen Hancox "Auntie Helen" (Essex, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faith and Doubt of John Betjeman: An Anthology of Betjeman's Religious Verse (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent introduction to the religious verse of John Betjeman and is presented in a very easy-to-read style. The book introduces each group of poems with background details and light commentary on the poems along with biographical information on the poet which helps to explain the content.

The themes in the anthology include death, spiritual doubts and fears, belief, vanity and hypocrisy in the church and the church in society and include many of his most well-known poems including "Slough" and "Diary of a Church Mouse."

This is an excellent book for those who want to study Betjeman's religious verse or who want to read the thoughts of one whose faith was often tested and unsure but who loved the Church of England as a vital part of England.