1 EditedbyValerieEliotandJohnHaffenden,TheLettersofT.S.EliotVolume3(NewHaven&London:YaleUniversityPress,2012),pp.403-404.

2 Ibid.

T.S.Eliot’sConversionfromUnitarianismtoAnglo–Catholicism 　141

Research Note

T. S. Eliot’s Conversion from Unitarianism to Anglo–Catholicism

Junichi Saito

It isatoughquestionforliterarystudentstoconsiderwhyT.S.EliotturnedfromhisancestralUnitarianismtoAnglo–Catholicismin1927.

Eliotwrote in a letter toW.ForceStead in 1927 thathewantedStead’s advice,informationandhispracticalassistanceinreceivingConfirmationwiththeAnglicanChurch.HespokehismindfranklytoSteadinhisletter.

....Iamsureyouwillbegladtohelpme.ButmeanwhileIrelyuponyounottomentionthistoanyone.Idonotwantanypublicityornotoriety–forthemoment,itconcernsmealone,&notthepublic–noteventhosenearestme.Ihatespectacular‘cornerstone’.Bytheway,Iwasborn&bredintheveryheartofBostonUnitarianism.1

W.ForceSteadansweredpolitelytotheletteronFebruary4.Hereiteratedthesignificanceofbaptismandcommunion.

.. .forgivemeifIaskwhetheryouhavebeenbaptized?MyideaofUnitariansisofausterepeoplewhoabstainfrombaptismaswellascommunion.PerhapsIdothemaninjustice.Anywayonemustbebaptizedbeforebeingconfirmed,tho’itisnotnecessarythatoneshouldreceiveAnglicanbaptism. It isdifferentwithconfirmationwhereeverythingdependsupontheApostolicsuccession.2

Inreply toStead’s letter, it seemedthatEliot steadfastlymaintained thepossibilityofaUnitarianformofbaptism.Asforbaptism,EliotthoughtbacktohischildhoodinSt.Louis.

Thereisaformofbaptism,aritualwithwater,inUnitarianism.IcannotofcourseswearthatIwasbaptized !Idon’tremember–isacertificateneeded?ButmypeopleconsideredthattheywereidenticalwiththeUnitarianchurch–theirpositioninBoston

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3 Ibid.,p.412.4 Ibid.,p.428.

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Unitarianism is like thatof theBorgias in thePapacy! –and Ihaveseenyoungermembersof the familybaptized,very formally;andIhave inshortnot theslightest doubtofmyBaptism. Bytheway,UnitarianshaveakindofCommunionService–onceamonth,also.Inevercommunicated;myparentsdid,regularly;buttheydidnotbotheraboutme.3

Stead’sreplyonFebruary8seemedtobesignificanttothosewhoreceiveAnglicanbaptism.

‘Nowtobeserious,itseemstomethattheUnitarianbaptismistheonlyexceptiontothegeneralrulewhichImentionedinmylastletter,namelythatanybaptismwhetherepiscopalornotisrecognisedasvalid,fortheoneessentialisbaptisminthenameoftheTrinity,andthatIinfercouldnotbeexpectedintheUnitarianChurch....’4

WhetherEliotstrengthenedhisbeliefintheTrinityofAnglo–Catholicismatthattimehassomethingtodowiththegeneralmoodofhispoems.OnemightsaythatEliot’spoetictonebecomesreligiouslytincturedafter1927.

IfreaderscompareEliot’searlierpoems,Prufrock and Other ObservationsandPoems, 1920withhislaterpoems,Ash–WednesdayandFour Quartets,anumberofdifferencesmaybenotedinthewaythepoetcomposespoems.

Hisearlierpoems,suchas“Prufrock”,“Preludes”,and“Gerontion”,dealwiththethemeofGod’sabsenceinthebarrenmodernworldinwhichhumanshavelosttheirdirection.Itisnexttoimpossibletofindanysenseofsalvation,butonlythesenseofdespairofEliot’scontemporaries.Eliotsaysin“Prufrock”:

Igrowold...Igrowold...Ishallwearthebottomsofmytrousersrolled.

ShallIpartmyhairbehind?DoIdaretoeatapeach?Ishallwearwhiteflanneltrousers,andwalkdownthebeach.Ihaveheardthemermaidssinging,eachtoeach.Idonotthinkthattheywillsingtome.....WehavelingeredinthechambersoftheseaBysea–girlswreathedwithseaweedredandbrownTillhumanvoiceswakeusup,andwedrown.

Thetoneofthepassagesoundsverypessimistic,asifhehadlostthemeaningoflife.Thepoet seems tobe searching for thebasicuniversalvalues thatallhumans,despite the

5 PeterAckroyd,T. S. Eliot(London:HamishHamilton,1984),p.16.6 Ibid.,p.17.

T.S.Eliot’sConversionfromUnitarianismtoAnglo–Catholicism 　143

differencesintheirreligiousbeliefs,cannormallyrelyon.OnemightsaythatEliot’sancestors’Unitarianismhasagreatinfluenceuponhisearlier

poems.Eliot’sgrandfather’sstrictviewsoflifemayhaveinfluencedhisbeliefandthought.PeterAckroydexplainshowgreatWilliamGreenleafEliot’sinfluenceonhisfamilywas.

Thepersuasiveanddominantpresence in thehousehold,however,was thatofhisgrandfather,WilliamGreenleafEliot,whohaddiedtheyearbeforeEliotwasborn.Eliot,even inoldage,rememberedhis influenceasthatofonewho‘ruleshissonandhisson’ssons fromthegrave’, aMosesuponwhose tabletswereengravedthe lawsofpublic service.Eliotwas alwaysmuchpossessedby thedead, and that sense ofpossession(ordispossession)wasonewhichhelearnedearly.5

It canbeargued thatEliot’sgrandfather’sreligiousbeliefcastapessimisticshadowonEliot’searlierpoems. Unitarianism isanentirelydifferentbelief fromtheviewpointsoforthodoxChristians.Ackroyddiscussesthedifferencebetweenthetworeligioussects.

Unitarianismis, infact,fromtheperspectiveoforthodoxy,ahereticalfaithprincipallybecauseitdoesnotaccepttheChristiandoctrineoftheIncarnation－ChristbecomingasortofsuperiorEmerson.ItisessentiallyPuritanismdrainedofitstheology,sinceitdeniesthecentraltenetsofpredestinationanddamnation;heavenandhellareof lessaccountthanthemundanespacewhichweinhabitbetweenthem....Unitarianismisearnest, intellectual,humanitarian,partof thathigh–minded‘ethical culture’whichEliotinlateryearsdistrustedandmocked.6

AccordingtoAckroyd’sexplanation,UnitariansdonotacceptthebasicorthodoxteachingofChrist as the IncarnatedWord. Unitarianismcanbecalledapragmaticbelief system,stressinganethicalwayoflifewhichleadsUnitarianstowardastageofhumanperfection.Eliotseemstohavesufferedwith theUnitariansenseofmoralprogress throughouthischildhood.

BarrySpurragreeswithAckroyd’sobservationoftheearlyEliot’sinnerstruggle.Hediscusses

...intheearliestperiodofEliot’slife,whichhewaslatertorecallasa‘struggle’,‘overmanyyearssoblindlyanderrantly’,hewasdominatedbyhisfamily’swell–establishedUnitarianheritage.This isthemostsignificantoftheformative influencescomprisingwhatEricSigghascalledhis‘deepAmericanpast,extendingfarbackintimebeforehisbirth’,inoppositiontowhichEliot’sAnglo–Catholicismwas,muchlater,toemerge.

7 BarrySpurr,‘Anglo─Catholic in Religion’ T.S. Eliot and Christianity(Cambridge:TheLutterworthPress,2010),pp.3-4.

8 Ibid.,p.4.9 Ibid.10Ibid.

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...someaspectsofCalvinisttheologythatarecentral,too,toCatholicteaching–suchasthedoctrineofOriginalSin(utterlyrepudiatedbyUnitarianism)–wereattheveryheartofhisAnglo–Catholicfaith.7

SpurralsoassertsthatUnitarianismcanbecalleda‘creedlessrationalfaith’.Heexplains:

Unitarianism,itwasquipped,haditsowntrinitarianism(havingrejectedtheorthodoxbeliefinFather,SonandSpiritasconsubstantial,coeternal):affirmingthefatherhoodofGod,thebrotherhoodofman,andtheneighbourhoodofBoston.Eliotwastotravelasfarfromthesereligiousprinciples(whichhemocked,inhisownmischievoustriplet,as

‘thereligionof thebluesky, thegrassandflowers’)as theUnitarianshadremovedthemselves,doctrinally,fromtheirCalvinistforbears:forthem,‘themenwhowrotetheBibleandtheearlyChristianswereliberals’...8

Readersmay recognize thatEliot struggledwith theburdenofhisgrandfather’sUnitarianism,whichsymbolizedEliot’sgrandfather,William’senergy, cheers,voluntaryworkandliberalism.9Eliotrecalledthathisgrandfather’simageof‘theGreatMan’wassomethingthathecouldneverattain.10

ItwouldappearthatEliothadbeenpossessedbythepreachingofhisdeadgrandfatherin“TheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock”:

AndIhaveknowntheeyesalready,knownthemall－Theeyesthatfixyouinaformulatedphrase,AndwhenIamformulated,sprawlingonapin,WhenIampinnedandwrigglingonthewall,ThenhowshouldIbeginTospitoutallthebutt–endsofmydaysandways?

ItisbelievedthatEliotcomposedthepoemwhenhewasstudyingattheSorbonne.Itisasif theyoungpoetwasbeingwatchedbyhisdeadgrandfatherevenafterhavingseveredhimself fromhisUnitarian family. Hisoftenused imageofa labyrinthof streetsmightindicateEliot’sinnerstruggletoseekthewordstoarticulatehisfeelingatthattime.

BeforeEliot’sconversiontotheAnglicanChurch,readersfindEliotstrugglingagainstboredomandspiritualbarrenness inaworldwithoutGod. Eliot’ssenseofboredomanddespairforhiscontemporaryworldisstillapparentin The Waste Land.

11Ackroyd,op.cit.,p.159.12Ibid.,pp.159-160.13G.DouglasAtkins,T. S. Eliot: The Poet as Christian(NewYork:PalgraveMacmillan,2014),p.1.14Ibid.15Ibid.

T.S.Eliot’sConversionfromUnitarianismtoAnglo–Catholicism 　145

UnrealCity,Underthebrownfogofawinterdawn,AcrowdflowedoverLondonBridge,somany,Ihadnotthoughtdeathhadundonesomany.

Eliotdepictscontemporarymenwalkinglikeghostsbereftofthepurposeoflife.Onemightarguethatthepoetistryingtoexpandhispersonalagonyintoamoreuniversalone.Hispersonalvoicerepresentsanailinghumanvoiceatlarge.EliothadtostruggleanothersixyearstoobtainasolidbeliefinAnglo–Catholicism.

AckroydsaysthatEliotfelltohiskneesinfrontofMichelangelo’sPietawhenhewasvisitingRomein1926.11AckroydalsoexplainshowEliotwasfinallyconvertedtoAnglo–Catholicism.

. . .beforehis formalconversion,hewasundergoingregular trainingandattendingearlymorningservices intheChurchofEngland.InanessayonLancelotAndrewes,publishedinthisyear,hedescribedthevirtuesofwhathecalledthe‘EnglishCatholicChurch’,andindeedhisconfessorhasrecalledhowEliotsawhisconversionasareturntothereligionofhisEnglishancestors....HebecameattachedtotheAnglo–Catholicmovementwithin the Church of England, precisely because he saw in it thecontinuationofsuchatradition.12

G.DouglasAtkinspointsoutthatEliottakesfromLancelotAndrewestheideaofsqueezingaworduntil itgivesbirthtoa full juiceofmeaningwhichtheyhadrarely found inthepast. 13 Atkins furtherdiscusses thatEliot’spoemsarenotmadeof suchsqueezingofindividualwordsbefore1927.14AccordingtoAtkins,achangeappearsin“JourneyoftheMagi”(1927)andisfullydevelopedinAsh–Wednesday(1930).15

ThefollowingpassageistakenfromAsh–Wednesday:

Sister,motherAndspiritoftheriver,spiritofthesea,SuffermenottobeseparatedAndletmycrycomeuntoThee.

SensitivereadersmightnoticethatEliottriesto‘squeeze’poeticwordsinthepassage.Eliot’s poems andprosebecome religiously tinctured afterhis conversion toAnglo–

16Spurr,op.cit.,p.157.17T.S.Eliot,Christianity and Culture(NewYorkandLondon:HarcourtBrace&Company),pp.148-149.

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Catholicismin1927.EliotconcludesthepoemwithasilentprayerfortheBlessedMother;theVirgin’spresenceandinfluenceinEliot’sspiritualityisconspicuouslyindicated.16BeliefintheVirginMaryconstitutesanimportantdoctrineinAnglo–Catholicism.Eliotdepictedfemalecharactersnegativelyinhispoemsbefore1927.

Eliot’sstancetowardtheChurchofEnglandbecomesveryfirminFour Quartets.Thefollowingpassagedemonstrateshisself–convictionasanAnglo–Catholic.

WhilethelightfailsOnawinter’safternoon,inasecludedchapelHistoryisnowandEngland.

Eliotsuggeststhathumanscanbesavedbythestrongbelief intheIncarnation,whichiscentral toEliot’sAnglo–Catholic faith. Eliotwasreaffirmingan important role for theChurchofEnglandwhenhewrote,“LittleGidding”.HisstrongsenseofcommitmenttotheChurchofEnglandcanalsobeseeninthefollowingpassage.

InEngland,themainculturaltraditionhasforseveralcenturiesbeenAnglican.RomanCatholics inEnglandare,ofcourse, inamorecentralEuropeantraditionthanareAnglicans;yet,becausethemaintraditionofEnglandhasbeenAnglican,theyareinanotheraspectmoreoutsideofthetraditionthanareProtestantdissenters.ItistheProtestantdissentwhichis,inrelationtoAnglicanism,acongeriesofsub–cultures...17

EliotdoesnotarguethattheRomanCatholicChurchislessimportantthantheChurchofEngland.Anglicanism’sroleistoactasthecornerstoneofcultureinEngland.Eliotfurtherstressedtheneed foraChristiansocietydespitevariousChristiandenominationsat thattime.

ItsoundsquitenaturalforEliottosayinthelastpassageof“LittleGidding”:

AndallshallbewellandAllmannersofthingsshallbewellWhenthetonguesofflamearein–folded　IntothecrownedknotoffireAndthefireandtheroseareone.

IfEliotattainedsuchanultimatestateofmind,itwasonlyafterstrugglingtofindthemeaningof lifeasaChristianpoet. Hisconversionto theChurchofEnglandwasaturningpoint inallowinghimtoputbehindhischaoticstateofmindobserved inhis

T.S.Eliot’sConversionfromUnitarianismtoAnglo–Catholicism 　147

earlierpoems.ItcouldbesaidthatAnglo–Catholicismmadehimthemostprominentliteraryfigureofthetwentiethcentury.

Thispaperisbasedonareadingseminarheldatthe39thAnnualMeetingoftheT.S.EliotsocietyinAtlanta,Georgia,USA.