Abstract
Thomas Traherne, the seventeenth-century theologian and poet, has received much attention lately, not least from the late Denise Inge. She would, I think, be delighted with this offering from Elizabeth Dodd on the concept of innocence in Traherne’s thought. Dodd writes extremely well, with academic depth (this is based on her PhD thesis undertaken with Professor David Ford at Cambridge) and a sure and lucid style, which makes this a book to treasure. The subject of innocence is beautifully developed in dialogue with current thinking, the seventeenth-century context and with an appreciation of theological anthropology based on David Kelsey’s Eccentric Existence (2009). Dodd suggests developments in our theological exploration of what it is to be human in today’s world by taking the four ‘estates’ of innocence, misery, grace and glory that frame Traherne’s understanding of ‘innocence’. She shows how for Traherne it is an active quality that permeates each estate, enabling the human person to live through the trials of the misery of sin and suffering, realize dependence on God’s grace and aspire towards the glory of God.
The meanings of ‘innocence’ in the seventeenth century were nuanced, more so than now, reflecting its Latin sources and the different ways it is translated in the biblical texts. The Latin can best be translated as ‘harmlessness’, and as ‘graced innocence’ can be described as a mature state of the soul, offering ‘… the condition of virtue, its apprehension, affection, intention and its goal’ (p. 31). This mature state of the soul is one that can be gained through the working of God’s grace, and Traherne’s great genius is to present the delight, benefit and joy of the innocent (harmless) person who is able to grow into the fullness of virtue and wisdom.
Dodd carefully takes her readers through the different ways in which ‘innocence’ has been understood, not least in the Romantic era when it came to mean the primitive innocence of childhood, lost as the human person is corrupted by experience. Within this essentially Romantic anthropological frame it becomes impossible to regain innocence once lost, and childhood is viewed as a time of nostalgia, sentimentality, idealism and utopianism. Much critical study has located Traherne within this Romantic trajectory. Dodd presents a convincing counter-interpretation to this linear lost-innocence to corrupted-by-experience progression, arguing that in each of the estates of innocence, misery, grace and glory Traherne encouraged growth towards innocency of life as the person seeks wisdom through experience.
I enjoyed Dodd’s exploration of the emblems employed by Traherne to convey the sacrament and image of innocence: the sacramental child, the celestial stranger, the garden, shield and diamond, pearl and particularly the Amazon Queen.
‘I will wash my hands in innocency’ (Psalm 26.6). Through her study of Traherne, Dodd enables the theological quality of ‘innocence’ to become meaningful and potent again today after centuries of Romantic misapprehension, enabling the person to aspire to be innocent and wise. This is a significant book and will have a real impact, particularly on those interested in theological anthropology.
The index has some inaccuracies; for example, the entry for Jean-Jacques Rousseau.