Guy Delcambre on Poetry and the Middle Way
In this episode of Working Theology, hosts Brandon Giella and Parker Smith explore the intersection of poetry and ideology with guest Guy Delcambre. They discuss the concept of the "via media" and the importance of moderation and anti-fanaticism in political debate, as well as the role of poetry in precise and provocative communication. The conversation also touches on the challenge of engaging in civil disagreement and the need to navigate the tension between affiliation and citizenship in the Church.
Exploring the Intersection of Poetry and Theology
Theology and poetry may seem like disparate fields, but in reality, they have a lot in common. Both are concerned with the human experience, with questions of meaning and purpose, with the search for something beyond ourselves. In this episode of Working Theology, hosts Brandon Giella and Parker Smith talk with guest Guy Delcambre and explore the intersection of poetry and theology, and the ways in which they can inform and enrich one another.
The Via Media and the Role of Poetry
The conversation begins with an exploration of the "via media" or "middle way", a concept in Christian theology that emphasizes moderation, temperance, and anti-fanaticism. Delcambre, a poet and arts director, notes that precision of language is important in poetry, but that there is also a tension between exact language and open-handedness. He suggests that the tendency to define one's stances or movements can lead to extreme points, and that it is important to pay attention to what truly defines who we are. Giella, a content marketer, adds that strong, specific language can cut through the noise of marketing, and that the more concrete and specific one can be, the more universal their appeal.
Engaging with Disagreement
The conversation then turns to the role of disagreement and how it can be engaged in a way that adds value and leads to learning. Delcambre suggests that we need to rid ourselves of the aversion to disagreement and recognize disagreement as an opportunity to learn from one another. He emphasizes the importance of open-handed humility and the practice of civil disagreement, which he describes as an art that is lost when we are afraid to be disagreeable with one another.
Poetry, Language, and the Human Experience
The final segment of the episode focuses on the role of poetry in the human experience. Delcambre suggests that poetry can offer a way of seeing the world and experiencing reality that is different from other forms of language. He notes that poetry can be both precise and provocative, and that it can help us to focus on a very particular point or image. Smith adds that poetry can be a way of entering into the culture and engaging with language in a way that is exacting and surgical in its critique and communication.
Overall, the conversation with Delcambre highlights the ways in which theology and poetry can inform and enrich one another, and the importance of engaging with disagreement and open-handed humility. The episode offers a thought-provoking exploration of the human experience and the ways in which language can help us to understand and engage with it more deeply.
Episode Links
- The Selected Poems of Osip Mandelstam (New York Review Books Classics) Translated by Clarence Brown
- Millennials at Fox News, Satanists, and the Fallout of Deconstructionism - This Cultural Moment
- Anne Lamott
A prayer for poets, writers, and those who employ language in their work
Heavenly Father, we acknowledge you as the truest source of life and of love and of liberty, and through your Son this is fully realized by us who by nature are mortal and self-focused and diminished; and so, humbly we ask you to drive our affections toward your love, to hate only what is evil and to hold longingly to what is good. Help us to be attentive to the world immediately around us; quiet our hearts and enliven us with your Spirit to be an image of you to all that is our neighbor. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
