Auden and Christianity

Auden and Christianity by Arthur Kirsch, 179 pages

In Auden and Christianity Arthur Kirsch explores the impact of the faith of WH Auden primarily through an analysis of For the Time Being and the "Horae Canonicae".  In the process Kirsch reveals the extent to which Christianity served as a unifying principle in Auden's life and work, bringing together matter and spirit, the present and the past, the individual and society.

This is the kind of literary criticism that is expansive rather than reductive, illuminating one facet of an author's work without denying the existence or value of others.  Although Kirsch's remarkable combination of sensitivity and candor is unlikely to inspire readers to a greater love of God, it is very likely to lead to a greater love of Auden.