Abstract
I argue that a Herbertian reading of John Dewey’s aesthetic theory reveals his aesthetics as sacramental and offers a new lens through which to understand the functioning of Herbert’s rhetoric as well as Dewey’s philosophy. In turn, the sacramental qualities of Dewey’s aesthetic theory make a compelling argument for a postsecular interpretation of his work. First, I posit Herbert’s poetry within The Temple as sacramental; second, I discuss Dewey’s theory and the way Herbert follows it in structure; lastly, I highlight the ways in which this reading renders Dewey’s aesthetics as sacramental and outline the implications of this reading for further study.
Issue and Volume
14.2
BYU ScholarsArchive Citation
Langton, Hayley E.
(2022)
"Sacramental Aesthetics: A Herbertian Reading of John Dewey,"
Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism: Vol. 14:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/criterion/vol14/iss2/5