My Bent Thoughts, like a Brittle Bow, Did Fly Asunder”

Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, vicar of Belmont & Pittington in Durham, England, and author of The Essential History of Christianity writes about how the poetry of George Herbert opened her up to Christ:

“Certainly the poems are unashamedly intelligent. They are an example of the metaphysical school of poetry, which deliberately piled metaphor upon metaphor, and drew those metaphors from the cutting edge of contemporary science and philosophy. They flatter the reader by assuming a breadth and depth of political, theological and scientific knowledge.”

The line quoted in the headline is from Herbert’s poem “Denial”.

One thought on “My Bent Thoughts, like a Brittle Bow, Did Fly Asunder””

  1. I like it when people share a salvation testimony focused on more than when they prayed the sinner’s prayer. Clearly, those are important, but I’ve rarely seen God act in a rush. Usually, I see Him nudging pieces over time. Hearing how God used seventeenth century poetry to call someone to Himself is encouraging. Also a reminder to me of the importance of encouraging Christian artists. You never know what God will chose to use.

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