The Longing Ring

Since the dawn of Romanticism, artists and intellectuals in Germany have maintained an abiding interest in the gods and myths of antiquity while calling for a new mythology suitable to the modern age. In this study, George S. Williamson examines the factors that gave rise to this distinct and profound longing for myth. In doing so, he demonstrates the entanglement of aesthetic and philosophical ambitions in Germany with some of the major religious conflicts of the nineteenth century. Through readings of key intellectuals ranging from Herder and Schelling to Wagner and Nietzsche, Williamson highlights three crucial factors in the emergence of the German engagement with myth: the tradition of Philhellenist neohumanism, a critique of contemporary aesthetic and public life as dominated by private interests, and a rejection of the Bible by many Protestant scholars as the product of a foreign, "Oriental" culture. According to Williamson, the discourse on myth in Germany remained bound up with problems of Protestant theology and confessional conflict through the nineteenth century and beyond. A compelling adventure in intellectual history, this study uncovers the foundations of Germany's fascination with myth and its enduring cultural legacy.

I wrote you, my family, and it comes to the end of my ramblings. Sure, I will continue to write. I thank you for taking your time; I hope it interested you. The Longing was just my journal. I didn’t know Satan put a hit on me and God get it on me to share with the world. My honor as a common man is to stay on track and write appropriately. I have been praised and offended others on the subject. The reason I’m shy about what I have shared is I was feeling like I sounded like a broken record, but my Indian name is Broken Pencil. I have, when I was younger, written inappropriately and hope and pray they stay lost and burned. I’m very ashamed of my potty mouth as I feel words on paper are greater than words spoken. I am shy as I look in the mirror with my poet’s honor. My dream as I look, to be a master not to be a deaf, blind and mute. We all are, as I am, in a prison needing to be a god of war to realize the longing of myself. Love is everywhere even on the shelf. I love you, and everyone loves everybody else.

C. S. Lewis's extremely popular works of fiction have been widely discussed in terms of the ideas and religious themes they express and defend, but less often in terms of their purely literary qualities. Ironically, Lewis, himself a noted literary critic, would have objected to any such one-sided analysis of his works. To concentrate exclusively, or even primarily, on the content of a work without a consideration of its form and style was, in his view, a seriously unbalanced method of criticism. The Longing for a Form corrects this critical imbalance by supplying a theoretical background and detailed close readings for a better understanding and appreciation of Lewis's fiction as works of art. Following three general studies, a section of the book is devoted to each to Lewis's major efforts in fiction--the Ransom trilogy, the Chronicles of Narnia, and Till We Have Faces--considering the distinctive literary features of each group and individual books within the group. Running through the book is an emphasis on form--as literary kind and as structure--and a recurrent attention to three themes of particular importance in Lewis as a writer of fiction: objectivism, longing, and the literary artist as creator. Individually, the essays supply fresh insights into the style and meaning of specific works by Lewis; as a group they illustrate a depth, technical skill, and unity of thought and theme which have not previously been accorded Lewis as an artist in fiction.

Do your desires have you going around in circles? You may be looking for fulfillment in all the wrong places. You vowed you’d never repeat the same mistakes—yet you find yourself right where you started. What is it that keeps drawing you back into the same old traps? The fact is, your longings are built from the blueprint of your needs: for protection, for love, for God. And those needs aren’t going anywhere. Sheila speaks candidly about the trials in her life, including the heartache of her first marriage, and intertwines her story with the biblical saga of King David. As both Sheila’s and David’s stories make clear, some cravings are misguided, but they all stem from the same hunger—and they will haunt you until that hunger gets satisfied properly. If you keep reaching out to the wrong people at the wrong times in your own life, The Longing in Me will help you understand that your cravings are not the problem. It’s where they lead you that makes all the difference.

"A sprawling saga illuminating the interregnum between World Wars I and II. Quentin's French lover, Nadine, emerges as an expansive and fearless character. She becomes an important player in the quiet, secret, initial resistance to Hitler's ethnic cleansing." -Cheryl Fields, writer and managing editor, Change Magazine "A fascinating read. Haro's sequel to Twist of Fate follows Nadine and Quentin during the tumultuous years 1919 to 1939. Their love affair continues during the 'Roaring Twenties, ' the Great Depression and emerging European Fascism. Before getting together, World War II begins, promising them a collision course with destiny." -I. M. Heyman, former Chancellor, University of California, Berkeley and former Secretary, Smithsonian Institution "Haro's sequel to Twist of Fate continues Nadine and Quentin's love story. They find temporary happiness but face great challenges in this literate, fascinating novel of pre-World War II. International intrigue and behind-the-scenes politics make this an important historical novel." -Colleen Rae, author of Nearly Naked, and Correspondent, Local Observer, Saugatuck, MI "The adventure continues, and so does the entrancing reading. Fans of Twist of Fate will be delighted to explore Nadine and Quentin's world. Those who didn't read it should finish Intermezzo and read the first book as a 'prequel.'" -Juan Mestas, Chancellor, University of Michigan, Flint