On 7/13/2016 10:43 PM, Nancy Gish wrote:

> "is it wrong?" Yes.
>
> "The perfect life," as I noted, is a common concept in Christian 
> mysticism. Eliot read Evelyn Underhill early and also read many 
> mystics. All this takes is a little reading in what he read.

     Yes, well, just the same, my question concerned what he wrote, not 
just what he read (the whole listserv must be long aware of his having 
read Underhill and co.), and pronouncements of my impression of Gordon 
as wrong seem premature without that data.

>
> I'm sure you do find it wrong.

     Have no idea what "it" you're referring to. But it does seem odd 
that you point to E having read Underhill and mystics, etc., but think 
that his poetry does not involve theological issues. From what I've been 
reading lately, it appears that Emily Hale plays an inconsequential role 
in 4Q while theological issues play large. Both can be found in 
biographical data, as your statement demonstrates.

   By the way, I don't have any investment in Gordon's use or abuse of 
"perfection"; she just points to it so loudly, and surely with multiple 
meanings, that I'm curious to know how Eliot himself did or didn't use 
it. Still no answers on that forthcoming.

Ken A