Customer Reviews

John Donne: Man of Flesh and Spirit

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Not simply to engage with the previous reviewer, but I must wonder if we are reading the same book? Edwards' volume on Donne presents a very human view of the complicated individual that Donne was; very far from hagiography. Donne's own distinctive place in the Church of England of his time - and what we would now call Anglicanism - is vividly presented. This book does seem to me to be well informed in terms of literatary criticism and engages responsibly with Donne scholarship across the spectrum. The poetry is not disparaged; it's just not the main focus. This would be a fine introduction to Donne's theological and homiletical work.

This "biography/criticism" of John Donne does little more than reveal Mr. Edwards' own prejudices. As a theologian, Mr. Edwards showcases his contempt for Donne's early life and work, and uses Donne's later sermons and religious poems to display his own religious erudition. Mr. Edwards appears to see Donne as nothing but an Anglican apologist. The book shows limited understanding of historical or literary criticism, and scant sympathy with Donne's very human struggles. This book merely reinforces the already muddled body of Donne scholarship.