Sacred Place, Chosen People: Land and National Identity in Welsh Spirituality

(Paperback)

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'A sense of place': what do we mean Why are some places felt be holy What is a sense of nationality in spiritual terms Is nationalism fundamentally opposed to international understanding, tolerance and equality, or can it be humanitarian and Christian These are some of the questions which Dorian Llywelyn explores in his vigorous analysis of the interplay between place, religion, nationality, language, culture and politics in the Welsh literary tradition. This comprehensive study ranges from the sixth to the twentieth century and draws on a rich variety of sources in its examination of the development of a political theology in Wales. Since many of the writers discussed here have not been previously translated into English, the book opens up the treasures of Welsh-language spirituality and thought to the non-Welsh-speaking reader. Sacred Place, Chosen People combines contemporary theory with a profound knowledge of the Welsh literary and religious tradition and offers a fascinating elucidation of the long tradition of Wales as a 'holy land' and its people as a 'people of God.'

Reviews

'Thoughtful and well written, including sensitive translations of Welsh sources, otherwise inaccessible to non-Welsh readers...' TLS

Author Bio

Dorian Llywelyn teaches Christian Spirituality at the University of Wales, Lampeter.