The Sermons of John Donne, Volume IX

The Sermons of John Donne, Volume IX, collects his last dated sermons of 1629–1630 and later undated discourses, exploring creation, the image of God in humanity, and the Spirit moving upon the waters. These sermons combine simplicity with grandeur, with the East and West representing Christ's light and man's mortality, and the primordial waters symbolizing chaos and baptismal grace. Donne preaches before King Charles, citizens at Pauls Cross, and his own flock at St. Paul's, speaking with directness about human frailty, repentance, and the indwelling Spirit. The undated sermons reveal Donne as a pastor and confessor, guiding his hearers through the disciplines of penitence, confession, and amendment of life. He exposes sin but emphasizes divine mercy and the joy of reconciliation with God. Volume IX stands at the threshold of Donne's final preaching, culminating in Deaths Duell.

Format: Hardback
Length: 452 pages
Publication date: 29 April 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

*The Sermons of John Donne, edited by Evelyn M. Simpson and George R. Potter, Volume IX, brings together Donne's last dated sermons from 1629-1630 along with a group of later undated discourses, many of which were delivered during the final years of his ministry. In these sermons, Donne returns to the opening chapters of Genesis, reflecting on creation, the image of God in humanity, and the Spirit moving upon the waters. These late sermons combine an elemental simplicity with a poet's grandeur, with the East and West representing Christ's light and man's mortality, while the primordial waters serve as both a symbol of chaos and of baptismal grace. Donne preached before King Charles at Whitehall, before citizens at Paul's Cross, and to his own flock at St. Paul's, and his sermons reveal a new directness about human frailty, repentance, and the indwelling Spirit. Though mortality shadows these sermons, Donne emphasizes the joy of forgiveness, the hope of resurrection, and the treasure of grace already present in the faithful heart. The undated sermons collected here, including a long series on Psalm 32, showcase Donne as a pastor and confessor, guiding his hearers through the disciplines of penitence, confession, and amendment of life. They demonstrate his characteristic blend of searching self-examination, theological depth, and psychological acuity, always rooted in Scripture and the Fathers but addressed to the anxieties of his London congregations. Donne does not shy away from exposing sin, whether pride, covetousness, or irreverence in worship, but he also emphasizes the abundance of divine mercy and the joy that springs from reconciliation with God. Volume IX thus marks the threshold of Donne's final preaching, culminating soon.

Weight: 862g
Dimension: 162 x 241 x 34 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520370111