Editor's Introduction: The Return of Theopoetics

Abstract

Editor's Introduction: The Return of Theopoetics Scott Holland Over the years CrossCurrents has published many essays and articles composed in the evolving genre of theopoetics. We gave our entire March 2010 issue to Theopoetics. In recent years a number of books have been published and new courses at divinity schools have been offered exploring the movement from traditional theologies to constructive proposals in theopoetics. Readers of this journal continue to request theological and spiritual writing in this genre, and we are therefore delighted to devote this special issue to “The Return of Theopoetics.” We begin the issue featuring a young writer at the beginning of a great career. Anita Hooley Yoder's “I've Read Too Much Poetry for That” won first prize in the International Jennie Calhoun Baker 2014 Peace Essay Contest. Rather than turn to political theology or peace studies, the writer offers a satisfying poetics of peace. As one of the judges of the J.C. Baker essay contest, I'm happy to bring Hooley Yoder's writing to our readers. Two of our contributors have recently completed their own book length theopoetics. Jeff Gundy's Songs from an Empty Cage and Callid Keefe‐Perry's Way to Water: A Theopoetics Primer make wonderfully creative and constructive contributions to the field in their books and likewise in their new pieces in CrossCurrents. Although there is much new theopoetic writing today, I suggest in “The Poet: Theopoetics and Theopolitics” that Ralph Waldo Emerson might be the modern originator of the genre. The incomparable Jack Caputo, in his “Theopoetics as Heretical Hegelianism,” gives us an engaging philosophy, theology, and poetics once and at the same time. Poet Julia Spicher Kasdorf's “Water: Mother of Many Names” is travel writing that takes the reader on an existential adventure through a poetics of place. Ashley Theuring explores the spiritual art of holding hope and doubt through “The Interreligious Theopoetic Response to Public Tragedies.” Finally, Katelynn Carver's essay reminds us of the beautiful and brilliant work of the Brazilian theopoet Rubem Alves. As I was writing this introduction the news reached us that Rubem Alves died at his home in Brazil at the age of eighty. Literary critic Harold Bloom has made much of “the anxiety of influence” in the writing life. It is certainly a human and literary reality. Yet those of us who have been inspired by the theopoetics of Alves have been surprised and blessed by the ecstasy of influence. The Brazilian poet, philosopher, theologian, and psychologist insisted that the symphony, the story, and the poem return to us again and again with an invitation to enter their beauty and a mystical promise of resurrection. The old singer inspires new songs. The strong poet invites another to write her own verse. The artful storyteller helps us compose other narratives in our own voice. Indeed, the theopoets in this collection of articles and essays encourage our readers to likewise write and dwell poetically on the earth. © 2015 Association for Religion and Intellectual Life