A Reading of the Waste Land in Juxtaposition with Theology
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“Dying with a Little Patience”: A Reading of The Waste Land in Juxtaposition with Theology Jaimee Poole A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) 2020 School of Culture and Society ii Abstract Literature holds a distinct value in providing an image of human experience that enriches theological discussion and invites substantial reflection on human existence. This thesis follows Paul Fiddes’s method of juxtaposition for literature and theology to offer the possibility of an “opening of horizons” between the two disciplines. In following with this method, an exegetical reading of T. S. Eliot’s 1922 poem The Waste Land is juxtaposed with an exposition of three relevant theological themes: devotedness and desire, tragedy, and eschatology. This account of Eliot’s poem primarily focusses on the image of living death that Eliot develops through a description of the unintelligibility of tragedy, and the breakdown of the self that is the consequence of this state of death in life. The poem raises a question of the possibility of restoration in light of this experience of tragic suffering. Theological accounts of desire, tragedy, and eschatology, particularly the work of Sarah Coakley, Donald MacKinnon, and Fiddes, respectively, elicit responses in terms of the theological horizons that Eliot’s depictions of human experience raise. The study of literature and theology is invaluable in creating a theological landscape that engages with the mediating contribution of representations of human experience. iii CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. vi 1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Literature Review ..................................................................................................... 2 1.1.1 Historical Perspectives ..................................................................................... 3 1.1.2 Contemporary Methodologies .......................................................................... 7 1.2 Juxtaposition as a Method ...................................................................................... 20 Part 1: An Exegetical Reading of The Waste Land............................................................ 22 2 The Poem, its Contents, and Reception ......................................................................... 22 2.1 Contextual Factors and Textual Criticism ............................................................. 23 2.2 Interpretative Methods and Literary Criticism ....................................................... 26 3 Living Death and Fragmentation ................................................................................... 30 3.1 Fragmentation of Meaning ..................................................................................... 30 3.2 Living Death .......................................................................................................... 40 3.3 Breakdown of the Self............................................................................................ 44 4 The Question of Restoration .......................................................................................... 52 4.1 Impotence and Fertility Narratives ........................................................................ 52 4.2 “Death by Water” ................................................................................................... 61 4.3 The Benediction of the Fisher King ....................................................................... 65 4.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 67 iv Part 2: Theological Horizons .............................................................................................. 69 5 Self-Negation and Desire ............................................................................................... 69 5.1 Feminist Accounts of Sin ....................................................................................... 70 5.2 Devotedness and Desire ......................................................................................... 75 5.3 Sexuality and Selfhood .......................................................................................... 80 5.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 87 6 Tragedy and a Theology of Suffering ............................................................................ 88 6.1 Tragic Suffering ..................................................................................................... 89 6.2 The Unintelligibility of Suffering .......................................................................... 96 6.3 Apophaticism and Bafflement ............................................................................... 99 6.4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 103 7 Eschatology and Restoration ........................................................................................ 105 7.1 Literature and Eschatology .................................................................................. 105 7.2 Cyclical Renewal and Eschatological Openness.................................................. 107 7.3 Perichoresis and Divine Openness ...................................................................... 109 7.4 Asserting the Finality of Death ............................................................................ 114 7.5 Ongoing Eschatological Fulfilment ..................................................................... 118 7.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 121 8 Conclusion ................................................................................................................... 123 9 Bibliography ................................................................................................................ 125 v Attestation of Authorship I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it contains no material previously published or written by another person (except where explicitly defined in the acknowledgements), nor material which to a substantial extent has been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma of a university or other institution of higher learning. _____________________________________ vi Acknowledgements First and foremost, I want to acknowledge my Creator, the one in whom I am found, known, and empowered. To engage in theological research is a privilege spent in the company of my God. I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Andrew Picard, who has tirelessly supported and encouraged me throughout this process. From my first semester at Carey he has empowered me to explore and learn deeply, and believed in my ability to pursue this further study. This thesis would certainly not exist without his support. Alongside Andrew, I want to acknowledge the support of the Carey community in general, students and faculty, who welcomed me and invested in my research interests. In particular, I acknowledge Christa McKirland’s support this year, her invaluable advice and direction. I am grateful for the library staff’s help with resources and company through the quiet summer months. To my friends who have been patient and encouraging along this journey. Jonathan Edmeades and Andrew Clark-Howard, for the generous giving of time to reading and dialoguing; Rosie and Micah Fleming for fellowship and, often welcome, distractions from work; and countless others who have offered messages of support and love throughout the last year. Finally, my family – Nana, Mum, Dad, Michael, Carolina, Daniel, Erica. Their generosity and interest have provided a constant source of encouragement and I would not be where I am today without their sacrifices. To my much-loved Great Aunt and Grandfather who both passed away during the course of this study. You are a constant presence in all that I do, and it is an honour to write this thesis in your memory. 1 1 Introduction Literature holds a distinct value in opening horizons of human experience to invite theological reflection on humanity and the human relationship with the divine. The ability of literature to explicate human experience tempers, challenges, and enriches theological accounts of human existence. This thesis utilises Paul Fiddes’s method for literature and theology to juxtapose an exegetical reading of T. S. Eliot’s 1922 poem The Waste Land with an exposition of three theological themes that arise from Eliot’s description of human experience: self-negation and desire, tragedy, and eschatology. The first chapter of this thesis gives an overview of the discipline of literature and theology beginning with insights into a historical approach to mimetic literature in the Christian tradition, before moving onto a discussion of the contemporary academic landscape. A variety of approaches to theological reading of literature have arisen in recent decades and the literature review