Includes bibliographical references (pages 339-365) and index.
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: 10. The Tempest and the Risks of Forgiveness. 2. Shakespeare's "More Things" and Spirituality -- 3. Shakespeare's "More Things" and Theology -- 4. A Midsummer Night's Dream and Seeing with the Eyes of Love -- 5. The Merchant of Venice and the Covenant of Love -- 6. King Lear and a Journey to Nothingness -- 7. Hamlet, Hesitation, and Remembrance -- 8. King Richard II, King John, and the Ambiguities of Power -- 9. The Winter's Tale and the Renewal of Life -- 10. The Tempest and the Risks of Forgiveness.
Summary:
"A study of religion's influence on Shakespeare and Shakespeare's influence on Christian theology. Fiddes argues that Hamlet's famous phrase not only underscores the blurred boundaries between the warring Protestantism and Catholicism of Shakespeare's time; it is also an appeal for basic spirituality, free from any particular doctrinal scheme, a spirituality characterized by the belief in prioritizing loving relations over institutions and social organization: forgiveness is essential, human justice is always imperfect, communal values overcome political supremacy, and one is on a quest to find the story of one's own life. In this context Fiddes considers not only the texts behind Shakespeare's plays but also the potential impact of his plays on current theological writing. Fiddes ultimately shows how this more expansive conception of Shakespeare is grounded in the trinitarian relations of God in which all the texts of the world are held and shaped"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.