T. S. 엘리엇의 시에 대한 기독교적 조명

The Poetry of T. S. Eliot and Christianity

What was the cause of Elíot’s conversion to Chrístíaníty in 1927? To Eliot Christianíty was Anglo-Catholícísm. He was converted from Uni-taríanism to Anglo-Catholicism. Nomínally E1iot was brought up in a Chrístian family background. However, he found no solace but only anxiety in the old religion. The problem with the Unitarianism was Íts tota1 commitment to the human intellect and reason, that is, the positiv-istíc naturalism. There was no supernature which was to Eliot an es-sential quality of human being. E1iot found it in the Anglo--Catholicism. He found a new light in it. It was the cause of his conversion. E1iot, however, distinguishes between belief and 1iterature. There is an unbreakable relationship between religion and líterature, it’s true. But religion is not to be a substitute for literature. Neither literature can be a substitute for religion. Then, what can be the function of literature? It is to evoke emotions in readers to believein something, as Eliot re-peatedly said. We may find some heathen elements in Eliot’s poetry. Yet, for a Christian reader an overall impact he gets from Eliot’s poe-try is the flowing stream of Christian emotion. A non-Christian may get some other literary impacts. Eliot’s poetry remains as a 1iterary artefact which is not a statement of belief. Any reader can appreciate it regardless of his or her religious be1ief.