From: "Carrol Cox" <[log in to unmask]>
> What I can't understand in the present case is why a Christian admirer
> of Eliot should wish to deny the drama and poignancy of Eliot's
> struggles as he moved from unbelief to belief. In fact, I've known quite
> a few Christian admireres of Eliot over the years, and all of them
> (until I got on this list) _emphasized_ his earlier unbleif; they thught
> it made his acheivement of Christianity much more impressive.

Very curious. Can you show us such a denial of Eliot's struggle?
 I for one very openly acknowledge such a struggle. My only
concern here is to get the Christian elements in the poem openly
and fully considered, whatever they may or may not indicate about
Eliot's own religious interests. I maintain that given his family
background, Eliot would have been very knowledgable about
the Bible and Christian beliefs, and that he drew on that background
in writing the poem.

Such Christian baiting as you are indulging in, Carrol, is not
to your credit but is certainly not unexpected. It makes me
sorry to see it.

Peter