When Was "the Break"?: David Jones and Catholic Ideas of Rupture in British History
In an oft-cited passage from the Preface to The Anathemata, David Jones writes about "the Break" which has cut present generations off from the heritage of the past. This "Break" has been seen by Jones scholars as essential to his understanding of the artist's craft and to h...
| Published in: | Religion & literature |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Dep.
2017
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| In: |
Religion & literature
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| RelBib Classification: | CD Christianity and Culture KAJ Church history 1914-; recent history KBF British Isles KDB Roman Catholic Church |
| Further subjects: | B
Influence (Literary, artistic, etc.)
B ANATHEMATA, The (Book) B BINARY principle (Linguistics) B MODERNITY in literature B JONES, David, 1895-1974 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In an oft-cited passage from the Preface to The Anathemata, David Jones writes about "the Break" which has cut present generations off from the heritage of the past. This "Break" has been seen by Jones scholars as essential to his understanding of the artist's craft and to his view of history. When was "the Break"? This paper explores the various ways in which "the Break" is defined by Jones and the different periods in history it might refer to. The concept has much in common with the Catholic interpretation of history which sees the Reformation as a rupture. Many of Jones's friends shared these ideas and played a role in shaping them, especially Tom Burns and Christopher Dawson. Jones's thinking is also influenced by the criticisms of democracy, revolution and liberalism which were being developed in the early twentieth century by writers such as Oswald Spengler. "The Break" can also be seen to be caused by nineteenth-century industrialism. In developing this idea, Jones draws on the legacy of William Morris and John Ruskin, but also on the writings of Eric Gill. In this way, the thinking of Jones and his circle can be put in the context of broader European Catholic thinking about the progress of history and the arrival of modernity in a number of diverse processes. By comparingjones's ideas of rupture with those of his immediate circle and its wider influences, this paper situates the poet in broader trends of British and European thought. |
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| ISSN: | 2328-6911 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religion & literature
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