Beasts of time
Book Description
In the ancient epic of Beowulf lies a profound meditation on humanity's eternal struggle with darkness and mortality. Edward L. Risden's scholarly exploration reveals how this foundational work of English literature carries within its verses a powerful apocalyptic vision that speaks directly to our deepest spiritual concerns.
This examination focuses on the haunting creatures that populate Beowulf's world, demonstrating how these monsters serve as more than mere antagonists. They embody the persistent forces of chaos and destruction that every soul must confront. Risden illuminates the poem's pervasive awareness of ending times, showing how this ancient text grapples with questions that remain urgently relevant today.
The study reveals Beowulf as more than historical artifact or literary curiosity. As the first major epic written in a European vernacular language, it established patterns of spiritual wrestling that continue to resonate. The battles between heroes and beasts become metaphors for the ongoing conflict between light and shadow within human experience.
Through careful analysis of this singular manuscript, Risden demonstrates how the poem's apocalyptic elements create a lasting impact on readers. The monsters and their heroic opponents seem to transcend the boundaries of the text itself, continuing their eternal struggle in ways that illuminate our own spiritual journeys and confrontations with mortality.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Short (< 200 pages) (~5 hours)
📄 Length: 165 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore History and criticism
- ✓ Explore In literature
- ✓ Explore Christian poetry, English (Old)
- ✓ Explore Epic poetry, history and criticism
- ✓ Understand death from spiritual perspective
- ✓ Explore Cosmology, Medieval, in literature
- ✓ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
- ✓ Explore Paganism in literature
