Thomas Hardy and the Church — Jan Jedrzejewski

Traces the development of Hardy's attitude towards Christianity as expressed in his use of the motifs of church architecture, religious music and ritual, and the characters of clergymen, underlining the tension between Hardy's aesthetic and emotional attachment to the Christian tradition and his inability to accept its ontological essence. Includes a chapter outlining aspects of his religious biography as documented in his letters and notebooks, annotations in his Bibles, interviews, and his autobiography. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.