MOUNT VERNON— Dr. Grant Lilford, Professor of English and Chair of Brewton-Parker’s Division of Christian Studies and Humanities, recently published an article in a special December issue of the interdisciplinary journal Christianity & Literature that focuses on the spirituality of poet George Herbert.
Lilford’s article entitled “Approaching the Cross: George Herbert and R. S. Thomas,” compares the poetic themes of the two poets who lived and wrote three centuries apart, but provided resonant voices on the centrality of the cross in Christian imagery and tradition. Both Welsh-born Anglican priests, Herbert was associated with the “Metaphysical School” of poets writing in the 17th Century, while Thomas began publishing his poetry in the mid-20th Century.
“While Dr. Lilford has published extensively in his field of literature, this article is his first peer-reviewed publication under the aegis of Brewton-Parker College since joining the faculty last August,” said Dr. Robert Brian, Brewton-Parker College Provost.
“The paper is part of a larger project, on Herbert and Thomas, on which I am currently working,” said Lilford. “I have presented papers towards this project at conferences in Texas and Wales. The following is an extract from the paper ‘Music is God’s gift to us and we are free to use it in any way we see fit. For Herbert, the choir at Easter, reflecting on Christ’s suffering, is an appropriate offering of the gift back to God. For Thomas, the committed musician, honed and disciplined by years of practice is a similarly appropriate offering. Both recognize the appropriateness of the offering, but also recognize that the offering falls a long way short of Christ’s offering of Himself.’”