Christianity and Culture (5) Literature

Abstract

"During a recent weekend visit to York, I had the opportunity of attending a Quaker meeting. Sixty or seventy people gathered in silence, which continued unbroken for perhaps twenty minutes. Then came the first verbal contribution to the worship. A member of the congregation recited, from memory, a short piece from Milton's 'Paradise Lost', and commented on an aspect of the text which had impressed him- not just critically, but theologically. Milton's description of the attractiveness of Lucifer, ultimately corrupt and physically most beautiful of all the angels before his appearance changed to reflect his corruption, was perceived as a warning of the seeming attractiveness of evil in its early stages. The thread was picked up as others in the meeting contributed to the line of thought another few lines of 'Paradise Lost', a few words from 'Macbeth', were offered as extracts theologically resonant and valid"