Strange Deliberations: John Betjeman and Protestant Nonconformity

Abstract

The influence of Anglican culture and theology on the development of John Betjeman's poetic and spiritual imagination has been the subject of a good deal of recent scholarly attention. However, an affinity for Protestant Nonconformity is an unexpected secondary Christian influence in his poetry and prose. This essay seeks (1) to explore the various ways in which the dissenting tradition, both mainstream and marginalized, appears in his work, from cultural appreciation to gothic humor, from spiritual anxiety to theological acceptance; (2) to reconcile these contradictory attitudes toward Protestant Nonconformity; and (3) to assess its significance in the development of his literary imagination.