Unity In Diversity (Critical Analysis of T.S. Eliot Poetry Plays the Tarot Mysticism Religion): T.S. Eliot and Religious Liberalism

Unity In Diversity: T.S. Eliot and Religious Liberalism by Stephen Williams


Unity In Diversity: T.S. Eliot and Religious Liberalism is a critical examination of Eliot's search to discover meaning and unity in his life. Through an examination of his published work, especially the poetry, this spiritual quest is detailed with full illustrations from the poems.

The content of Eliot’s poetry can suggest four significant distinctions: a seemingly agnostic or rebellious phase leading to the poet’s absorption in Indian religious belief; an interest in the Book of the Tarot as being at least representative of an ‘alternative’, an almost ‘supernatural’ form of mysticism; a return to the Christian belief of the West, and to the less common Christian mysticism in particular; and, finally, to the essence of these outwardly diverse fields being embraced into a united whole.

Eliot strives to cultivate the essence of Reality existing within the Self of humankind, the essence that might ultimately bring about an ecstatic illumination of the One, the ground of all Being.

Section One examines Eliot's research into Eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism, showing how this interest appears clearly in the imagery of his poetry.

Section Two examines Eliot's interest in mysticism and the Tarot. Taking the Tarot cards Eliot introduces into his major poem The Waste Land, an identification of the cards he uses is made, together with showing how these cards can be read, or interpretted to show how they are precisely selected cards and not random images, and so give a clear picture of Eliot's intent.

Section Three examines Eliot's profound interest in the Mystic Way.

Section Four examines Eliot's return to the more orthodox Anglicanism whilst still retaining a union, a collocation, of his lifetime of research and spiritual questing.

Appendices and a glossary cover terms used in the text, footnotes contain detailed references to enable further research, and there is a full bibliography.


About The Author

Stephen Williams is the author of:

Novels ... Servant Of Desire, Death Speaks In Whispers, The Dead List, A Bad Place To Die, Beast On The Landing Short Story Collections ... Games Men Play, Avoiding Lebanoth

Non-Fiction ... Unity In Diversity: T.S. Eliot and Religious Liberalism, Tarot: A Book Of Secrets

Poetry ... Walk With Strangers, Going For The Throat, Laced With Cobwebs, Rags Of Old Conversations, Doves Eat Hawks Collected Poems 2013

Stephen Williams has also written numerous articles, essays and short stories for newspapers and magazines across the world. In reviewing and awarding the prize for “Computerised Judas”, contained in Avoiding Lebanoth, Mr Stephen Fry commented that Williams’ work is formally and stylistically imaginative.