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sorinahiggins's review against another edition
5.0
Here's an excellent review of "The Chapel of the Thorn" in "The Journal of Inklings Studies": https://inklings-studies.org/.
hayesstw's review against another edition
5.0
An early play by Charles Williams, long thought to have been lost, and edited and prepared for publication by Sørina Higgins, who has also written a comprehensive introduction. There is also a preface by [a:Grevel Lundop] who has written a biography of Charles Williams, [b:Charles Williams:the Third Inkling|26000614|Charles Williams The Third Inkling|Grevel Lindop|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438133426s/26000614.jpg|45917151].
I began reading it two years ago, and began with the introductory material, which I think was a mistake. The book was mislaid in a reorganisation of our bookshelves, and so when I rediscovered it I began again, but this time reading the play itself, and saving the commentary for afterwards. And I'm glad I did, because the play speaks for itself, and it is perhaps better to read it without too many preconceptions.
It is set in an unnamed country, which has recently been evangelised by Christian missionaries, but pagan ideas have not been forgotten. The action of the play takes place at a crossroads, in front of a chapel which has a relic of a thorn from Christ's crown of thorns. Beyond the chapel is a cliff, and below the cliff can be heard the waves breaking.
The crossroads is also symbolic of the four social groups or forces represented in the play. One road leads to a new monastery, whose abbot and prior want the relic for the monastery. Another leads to a seaside village, whose parish church the chapel is. They earn their living by fishing and farming, and find life hard. The villagers are also aware that the chapel is the burial place of their semi-divine folk hero, Druhild. Two roads lead to the capital, the secular city, the seat of secular power. One road is rough and winding and follows the coast, the other is smooth and direct.
The priest of the chapel wants to keep the relic there, but the abbot of the monastery enlists the secular power of the king to help him seize it. The villagers are in two minds, and at one point are inclined to support Joachim, the local priest. The drama plays out between characters representing these four forces..
The play was written about 1912, and only published a century later, I don't know if it has been performed since it was published, but it would be quite easy to perform, or could even be done as a simple play reading.
The explanatory material (which takes up more space than the play itself) is useful. Sørina Higgins compares it with Charles William's other work, and gives informatuion on his personal background, which is useful in helping to understand the play, though I don't always agree with her conclusions.
Because of its setting, in a place where Christian missionaries were still active, and people were between Christianity and paganism, I found it useful as a missiologist, and if I were teaching missiology to live students (most of my previous teaching was by distance education) I might incorporate a reading of it in my course, as it raises many missiological issues, and could provoke useful discussions.
I began reading it two years ago, and began with the introductory material, which I think was a mistake. The book was mislaid in a reorganisation of our bookshelves, and so when I rediscovered it I began again, but this time reading the play itself, and saving the commentary for afterwards. And I'm glad I did, because the play speaks for itself, and it is perhaps better to read it without too many preconceptions.
It is set in an unnamed country, which has recently been evangelised by Christian missionaries, but pagan ideas have not been forgotten. The action of the play takes place at a crossroads, in front of a chapel which has a relic of a thorn from Christ's crown of thorns. Beyond the chapel is a cliff, and below the cliff can be heard the waves breaking.
The crossroads is also symbolic of the four social groups or forces represented in the play. One road leads to a new monastery, whose abbot and prior want the relic for the monastery. Another leads to a seaside village, whose parish church the chapel is. They earn their living by fishing and farming, and find life hard. The villagers are also aware that the chapel is the burial place of their semi-divine folk hero, Druhild. Two roads lead to the capital, the secular city, the seat of secular power. One road is rough and winding and follows the coast, the other is smooth and direct.
The priest of the chapel wants to keep the relic there, but the abbot of the monastery enlists the secular power of the king to help him seize it. The villagers are in two minds, and at one point are inclined to support Joachim, the local priest. The drama plays out between characters representing these four forces..
The play was written about 1912, and only published a century later, I don't know if it has been performed since it was published, but it would be quite easy to perform, or could even be done as a simple play reading.
The explanatory material (which takes up more space than the play itself) is useful. Sørina Higgins compares it with Charles William's other work, and gives informatuion on his personal background, which is useful in helping to understand the play, though I don't always agree with her conclusions.
Because of its setting, in a place where Christian missionaries were still active, and people were between Christianity and paganism, I found it useful as a missiologist, and if I were teaching missiology to live students (most of my previous teaching was by distance education) I might incorporate a reading of it in my course, as it raises many missiological issues, and could provoke useful discussions.
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