God as 'That Tremendous Lover' in The Hound of Heaven

We begin our fall series with the work that G.K. Chesterton called, "the greatest poem ever written in modern English," namely, Francis Thompson's devastating piece, "The Hound of Heaven."  J.R.R. Tolkien credited this work with having a significant influence on his masterpiece trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, noting that the poem is "one of the most profound expressions of mature spiritual experience."  Dorothy Day was also strongly impacted by Thompson's poem writing: "It is one of those poems that awakens the soul, and recalls to it the fact that God is its destiny."

Here is a copy of the poem to read.

Or, you may prefer listening to it in audio version.

Also, here is a modern, animated adaptation that might help you into the work.

Slide presentation

The music in the introduction and close of this podcast is provided by George Sarah.

This program of mystagogy is hosted by the Adult Faith Programs at Saint Stephen Martyr Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

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