The Religious Life of Samuel JohnsonA&C Black, 1 janv. 1983 - 184 pages Samuel Johnson was a deeply religious man and he came to depend on his Christian faith as the principal means by which to endure the pain of existence. He sought throughout his life to render himself worthy of salvation, but the difficulties which he experienced in trying to maintain a high degree of religious discipline - as well as his doubts about God's ultimate concern for man and his fears of his own spiritual unworthiness - led him into periods of madness and a perpetual dread of damnation. Charles Pierce examines the effect of Johnson's religous concerns upon the formation of his complex character, and on the great moral writing that began with The Vanity of Human Wishes and ended with Rasselas. He explores the paradox of a life which was dedicated to the Christian ideal and tormented by that same ideal. Previous works on Johnson's religious beliefs have been concerned with ascertaining what those beliefs were, and not with their effect. The main theme of this study is the importance of Johnson's beliefs in the formation of his character and their effect on the moral values expressed in his greatest writing and on the conduct of his life. It will be essential to anyone interested in the life and thought of one of the greatest English literary figures. |
Table des matières
Preface | 9 |
Acknowledgments | 13 |
1 The Anvil of Anxiety | 15 |
2 The Crucible of Faith | 34 |
3 The Pursuit of Piety | 63 |
4 The Character of Fearing | 84 |
5 The Meaning of the Journey | 111 |
6 A Crisis of Faith | 131 |
7 The Last Great Trial | 146 |
Notes | 165 |
177 | |
179 | |
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Expressions et termes fréquents
accept afflicted Anglican anxiety argued argument Baxter became believe Boswell cause Chester Chapin Christ Christian church clear concern conduct conversation conviction David Hume depression desire devotion Dictionary divine divine grace doubts Easter Ernest Becker evil existence experience expressed faith the center fear of death felt forces friends George Strahan grace habit happiness Hawkins Holy hope Hume Hume's imagination important Johnson never Johnson thought Johnson's faith Johnson's fear Johnson's religious knew Lichfield man's meaning meditation melancholy mercy mind miracles misery moral nature observed Oxford pain passions Patrick O'Flaherty piety poem prayer problem of evil psychological question Rambler Rasselas rational realize reason religion remarked repentance resolved response revealed salvation Sam Johnson Samuel Clarke Samuel Johnson scruples sense Serious Call Sermon sins Sir John Hawkins sought spiritual Stoicism suffered Thrale tion truth ultimate University Press virtue William Law writing wrote