『Hot Takes on the Classics』のカバーアート

Hot Takes on the Classics

Hot Takes on the Classics

著者： Emily Maeda & Tim McIntosh
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 Hot Takes on the Classics is no dusty, academic approach to great books. It’s a gossipy, exciting discussion about the best literature ever written. Hosted by Tim and Emily, who are veteran teachers and long-time friends, Hot Takes is packed with playful debate, meaningful speculation, and hearty laughs.©TrueNorth.fm アート 文学史・文学批評
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  • Episode 20: The Temple: The Architecture of the Soul — George Herbert

    Episode 20: The Temple: The Architecture of the Soul — George Herbert
    2025/12/16
    DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Tim McIntosh and Emily Maeda explore The Temple by George Herbert, one of the most profound devotional poetry collections in the English language. Through close readings of Herbert’s poems and reflections on his life, suffering, and vocation, the hosts examine how Herbert uses poetic form, architectural structure, and startling imagery to express the depths of divine love. Along the way, they reflect on the experience of reading poetry slowly and attentively, the relationship between affliction and grace, and why Herbert continues to shape poets, theologians, and readers centuries later.Episode OutlineOpening reading of George Herbert’s poem “Bitter-sweet”Emily’s personal encounter with Herbert through Christine Perrin’s lecture at The CiRCE National ConferencePoetry as an experiential art: reading collections versus isolated poemsComparing poetry collections to listening to a full albumDiscussion of poetry collections by Rainer Maria Rilke, T.S. Eliot, and R.S. ThomasGeorge Herbert’s life: education, illness, vocation, and pastoral ministryHerbert’s relationship to John Donne and the metaphysical poetsThe Country Parson as Herbert’s only work published during his lifetimeThe posthumous publication and reception of The TempleStructural “architecture” of The Temple: Church Porch, The Church, The Church MilitantClose readings and discussion of poems from The Temple, including “The Glance,” “The Agony,” “Virtue,” “The Wreath,” and “Love (III)”.Herbert’s use of poetic form (visual poems, repetition, symmetry)Reflections from T.S. Eliot, W.H. Auden, Elizabeth Bishop, and Simone WeilPoetry as the proper language for suffering and divine loveClosing reflections on poetry, attention, and formationKey Topics & TakeawaysPoetry as Formation: Herbert’s poetry resists abstraction and demands patient attention, shaping the reader through image, rhythm, and form rather than argument.Affliction and Divine Love: Herbert presents suffering not as a contradiction of God’s love but as one of its deepest avenues, especially in poems like “The Agony” and “Love (III).”Architectural Meaning: The Temple is structured like a sacred space—moving inward, upward, and through the stages of the Christian life.Form Serves Meaning: Herbert’s experimental poetic forms (wreaths, wings, typographic play) embody theological truth rather than merely decorate it.Enduring Influence: Herbert’s work continues to shape modern poets, theologians, and seekers across belief traditions.Questions & DiscussionWhy does reading poetry slowly matter?Consider how reading an entire poetry collection—rather than isolated poems—changes interpretation and emotional impact.How does Herbert connect suffering and love?Reflect on how poems like “The Agony” and “Love (III)” portray pain as a vehicle for grace rather than its opposite.What does Herbert gain by using poetic form visually?Discuss how poems like “The Wreath” or “Easter Wings” communicate meaning through structure, not just words.Can poetry communicate theological truth better than prose?Think about why figures like Erik Varden argue that poetry is uniquely suited to expressing spiritual realities.Why does “Love (III)” remain so powerful for readers today?Reflect on its depiction of divine hospitality, shame, and acceptance, and why it continues to resonate across centuries.Suggested ReadingThe Temple by George HerbertThe Poems of George Hebert by George HerbertThe Country Parson by George HerbertConfessions by St. Augustine translated by Sarah RudenHoly Sonnets by John DonneDuino Elegies by Rainer Maria RilkeFour Quartets by T.S. EliotR.S. Thomas: Everyman Poetry by R.S. ThomasWaiting for God by Simone WeilHealing Wounds by Bishop Erik VardenChastity: The Reconciliation of Senses by Bishop Erik Varden
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    1 時間 3 分
  • Episode 19: The Art and Music of Love: Theresa, Dido, and Shepherds

    Episode 19: The Art and Music of Love: Theresa, Dido, and Shepherds
    2025/12/09
    DescriptionIn this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh explore how Western art and music have depicted the many faces of love—from divine ecstasy to tragic longing to the gentle affections of pastoral life. They move through Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa, and Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance, examining how artists across eras have tried to portray the beauty, complexity, and vulnerability of human and divine love. Through music, sculpture, and painting, Emily and Tim reflect on what these works reveal about desire, the human soul, and our longing for harmony.Episode OutlineOpening reflections on how music and visual art express forms of love beyond wordsBeethoven’s Pastoral Symphony and the emotional world of shepherdsThe pastoral tradition and the association of shepherds with simplicity, joy, and musical beautyPieter Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance and the communal joys of embodied loveBernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Teresa as a depiction of divine, overwhelming unionThe ambiguity of mystical imagery—sensual, spiritual, or both?Shift to tragic eros in Purcell’s Dido and AeneasDido’s lament as one of the most powerful expressions of forsaken loveClassical echoes: Virgil’s Aeneid and Dido’s place in the InfernoClosing reflections on what art and music teach us about the varieties of loveKey Topics & TakeawaysMusic as a Language of Affection and Joy: Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony evokes the emotional clarity, peace, and playfulness associated with shepherds—figures who embody a simpler, more integrated relationship to nature and love.The Pastoral Tradition and Innocent Desire: From classical poetry to Renaissance art, shepherds symbolize a state of harmony where affection and desire are uncorrupted by ambition or social pretense.Embodied Celebration in Bruegel’s The Wedding Dance: Bruegel captures the physicality, joy, and communal warmth of love—reminding us that affection is often expressed through bodies in motion.The Ecstatic Union in Bernini’s St. Teresa: Bernini dramatizes a moment of mystical encounter that blurs the line between spiritual and sensual love, inviting viewers to consider the intensity of divine desire.Dido’s Tragic Eros in Purcell and Virgil: Dido’s grief in Dido and Aeneas echoes the literary Dido of the Aeneid, revealing how erotic love can elevate and devastate. Her lament remains one of the most moving expressions of abandonment in Western music.Questions & DiscussionHow does pastoral imagery shape our understanding of innocent love?Consider how shepherds represent harmony, simplicity, and musical beauty. Does this imagery still resonate with modern listeners? What role do bodies play in the expression of love?Reflect on Bruegel’s Wedding Dance. How does embodied joy communicate forms of affection that words cannot? Is Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa primarily spiritual or sensual?Discuss whether the sculpture’s intensity reveals something essential about divine love—or whether it intentionally makes us uncomfortable.What makes Dido’s lament so emotionally powerful?Think about how Purcell uses musical repetition, silence, and harmonic descent to portray a soul collapsing under the weight of loss.How do these artworks together expand our understanding of love? Explore how divine love, tragic love, and communal love form a fuller picture than any single work could express.Suggested Reading & Related ResourcesThe Four Loves by C. S. LewisThe Aeneid by Virgil The Holy Bible Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”) by Ludwig van BeethovenDido and Aeneas (“Dido’s Lament”) by Henry Purcell The Wedding Dance by Pieter Bruegel the Elder“The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa” by Gian Lorenzo Bernini Various sculptures, fountains, architectural works by Gian Lorenzo BerniniAs You Like It by William ShakespeareThe Winter’s Tale by William ShakespeareAll’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare
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    53 分
  • Episode 18: A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections - Jonathan Edwards: Testing of Our Loves

    Episode 18: A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections - Jonathan Edwards: Testing of Our Loves
    2025/12/02

    Description

    In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily Maeda and Tim McIntosh take a deep dive into Jonathan Edwards’s A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections, one of the most important theological works ever published in America. They explore Edwards’s historical moment in the midst of the First Great Awakening, the cultural divide between “old lights” and “new lights,” and Edwards’s effort to distinguish genuine spiritual transformation from mere emotional excitement. Along the way, they unpack Edwards’s definition of “affections,” discuss why Edwards remains so influential, and consider how his framework might apply to the renewed spiritual energy emerging in the U.S. today.

    Episode Outline

    • Opening quotation from A Treatise Concerning Religious Affections
    • Who was Jonathan Edwards? Background, intellect, and role in American Christianity
    • Edwards’s historical moment: The First Great Awakening
    • Old Lights vs. New Lights — a cultural and theological divide
    • Why Edwards’s preaching feels “medieval” to modern ears
    • Edwards on the nature of “religious affections”
    • False signs of spiritual renewal — emotions vs. lasting change
    • True signs of grace — the centrality of long-term obedience
    • Edwards’s pastoral purpose in writing the Treatise
    • Parallels between the Great Awakening and contemporary spiritual “vibe shifts”
    • Closing reflections on agape and the love of God

    Key Topics & Takeaways

    • Edwards’s World: Revival and Upheaval: Edwards writes in the heart of the First Great Awakening—a period of mass conversions, emotional preaching, and widespread debate about what counts as “true religion.”
    • Affections vs. Emotions: For Edwards, affections are deep movements of the will—love, hatred, desire—not fleeting emotions. Genuine Christianity requires these affections to be transformed.
    • False Signs of Spiritual Renewal: Intense emotions, tears, dramatic experiences, or even hearing Scripture in powerful ways do not necessarily indicate genuine spiritual change.
    • True Signs of Grace: Edwards insists that lasting obedience, humility, love, and good works—not dramatic feelings—are the real evidence of transformed affections.
    • Relevance for Today: Tim and Emily connect Edwards’s concerns to modern American spiritual trends, asking whether our current “renewals” will lead to sustained, virtuous lives.

    Questions & Discussion

    • What distinction does Edwards make between emotions and true spiritual affections?
      Consider why Edwards locates religious transformation in the will rather than in fleeting feelings. How might this help us evaluate contemporary spiritual experiences?
    • How does Edwards challenge both the ‘old lights’ and the ‘new lights’?
      Reflect on Edwards’s attempt to affirm genuine emotion while warning against emotional excess. Where do you tend to locate yourself in this debate?
    • Why does Edwards place so much emphasis on long-term obedience?
      Discuss whether you agree with Edwards that sustained virtue—not emotional intensity—is the clearest sign of genuine Christian faith.
    • How does understanding the First Great Awakening illuminate Edwards’s Treatise?
      Think about how cultural, theological, and political pressures influenced Edwards’s writing and why his framework was so needed in a divided moment.
    • What parallels do you see between Edwards’s time and current spiritual movements?
      Explore how Edwards’s insights might help us discern whether today’s “vibe shift” reflects genuine spiritual change.

    Suggested Reading

    • Treatise on Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
    • Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards
    • A Religious History of the American People by Sydney E. Ahlstrom
    • Jonathan Edwards by George M. Marsden
    • Pew Research Center
    • McIntosh, Timothy Andrew. My Name Is SØREN KIERKEGAARD. Directed by Frank Mihelich
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    41 分
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