Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
-"he makes it his mission to disillusion the world" (Horton 656)
-agnostic
Noted Works
-The Darkling Thrush
-The Respectable Burgher
-The Three Strangers
-the role of fate
Analysis of The Respectable Burgher:
The Respectable Burher mentions quite a few times of the skepticisms within the church. For example, "Solomon sang the fleshly Fair, / And gave the church no thought whate'er (Horton 658). Solomon, one thinks, is the one of the most memorable "man of God." He asked for wisdom, yet he practiced polygamy, a practice looked down upon God. The poem also talks about Esther and Daniel's hardships. Why do good people suffer? What Hardy is trying to say is that that the "message for mankind" (Horton 658) is marred due to disbelief of Scripture.
Application:
For me, I may sometimes think that Christianity is confusing as well. I ask, "Why does God let this happen to good people?" The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter if I understand it or not. I'm in no place to question God or His actions.
Horton, Ronald A. British Literature for Christian Schools. Greenville: Bob Jones University Press, 1992.
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Excellent identification of skepticism. Consider "men of God' instead of "man of God." Does this mean that the message is marred because people don't believe in the truth of the Bible? And regarding your application, does your answer satisfy you or is it a way to brush it off? More specifically, will it undermine your faith? I'm not saying that it's a "wrong" answer, I'm just wondering about the confusion we create in our own heads.
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