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Only eternal life is worthy of the name, writes Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B., in an elegy for a brother monk, and in his poetry one feels the working out of this life that begins with Adam and proceeds beyond our own span of time on earth. These poems breathe human air, but are always conscious of the larger picture of life in Christ. I wrestle with God 'flesh to flesh, sweat to mystery, ' and I limp away. This is how Father McDonnell describes his poetic project, and in these poems the reader attends a wrestling match of the highest order. He takes on the great themes of poetry: desire, mortality, love and age, brotherhood and God. Beginning with the figures of the Old and New Testament, he is aware of the human fallings', failings, and laughter in the stories as of what they say about God with us. Engaging with the events of our day, the great physical world around us, the intricate world of human relationships, and the spiritual journey of a monk, the poems continuously reveal what it means to be human.
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Reviews
"Masterfully crafted, and totally engaging. . . . McDonnell is a genius at inserting some of the latest contemporary idioms and realities into biblical scenes-a maneuver that brings the reader's attention to 'an upright position,' squashing any patronizing attitude one may be harboring with regard to the poet's age and environment. . . . [H]e retains his tremendously refreshing sense of humor, his
Corpus Reports
"The craft, wit, and belief of these poems are, perhaps, an unexpected combination, in these purportedly secular times. Their faith is anything but Fundamentalist, and even flirts with heterodoxy-but carries a weight of certainty nonetheless. One must wish Father McDonnell a long life of devotion and writing."
Religion and the Arts
"Preachers need to know the wonderful biblical poetry of theologian/monk Kilian McDonnell. His poems, based on careful exegesis, may be considered preaching in another key. These poems have powerful simplicity, depth, and are not only an honest response to biblical texts, they open imaginative possibilities for preaching. McDonnell does not write pious verse, but confronts God. He addresses troubl
Paul Scott Wilson, Professor of Homiletics, Emmanuel College, University of Toronto