John Donne: Man of Flesh and Spirit

Donne's poetry was a major factor in my eventual conversion to the Anglican Church. Whether you are interested in the Anglican tradition or just interested in Donne's amazing poetry, you should read this book. It exhibits all the sensitivity and scholarship which this complex man and poet deserves.

Not simply to engage with the previous reviewer, but I must wonder if we are reading the same book? Edwards' volume on Donne presents a very human view of the complicated individual that Donne was; very far from hagiography. Donne's own distinctive place in the Church of England of his time - and what we would now call Anglicanism - is vividly presented. This book does seem to me to be well informed in terms of literatary criticism and engages responsibly with Donne scholarship across the spectrum. The poetry is not disparaged; it's just not the main focus. This would be a fine introduction to Donne's theological and homiletical work.