Religion and aesthetic experience in Joyce and Yeats
Book Description
This scholarly exploration delves into the profound connections between artistic experience and spiritual awakening through the works of two literary giants, James Joyce and W.B. Yeats. Drawing on extensive archival research and careful textual analysis, Tudor Balinisteanu reveals how encounters with art can function as genuine religious experiences, offering pathways to transcendence beyond material concerns.
The study examines how both Irish writers understood aesthetic engagement as a form of sacred encounter, one that challenges the spiritual emptiness of economic materialism. Through the lens of Georges Sorel's social myth theory, Balinisteanu demonstrates how artistic experience can cultivate deeper forms of human connection and social belonging that resist the isolating forces of capitalism.
This work addresses three vital questions for contemporary spiritual seekers: How can we engage with cultural works to discover meaningful community beyond material pursuits? What role can artistic texts play in fostering the collective bonds necessary for genuine social transformation? How might we develop an ethics of fulfillment that transcends the demands of consumer culture?
For readers interested in the intersection of spirituality, literature, and social consciousness, this book offers fresh insights into how aesthetic experience can serve as a bridge between personal spiritual growth and collective social renewal. It presents art not merely as entertainment, but as a potential catalyst for both inner transformation and meaningful social change.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages)
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore RELIGION / General
- ✓ Explore LITERARY CRITICISM / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
- ✓ Explore Political and social views
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Social aspects
- ✓ Explore Aesthetics
- ✓ Explore LITERARY CRITICISM / Poetry
- ✓ Learn to access lasting joy
