Owen Barfield was the genius Inkling, said CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. But why does he so much matter today?
They consider how Owen Barfield addresses the idea of secularism developed by Charles
Taylor and why that might matter in a cultural moment that feels like a fork in the road.
They speak personally of how Barfield touched them and why his insights might matter to the psychedelic renaissance.
A central idea is that of polarity – moving beyond the dualisms that trap people, on the left and on the right, in a flatland mentality.
They ask how Barfield’s vision of final participation can be understood, even experienced, in language, in nature, with Indigenous traditions, in sacrament. They also consider how Rudolf Steiner, so important to Barfield, might be appreciated critically.
Fundamental is the Christian insight that the transcendent is also immanent, the many are reflections of the one, and that humanity shares in divine purposes.
For more on Mark, including his book on Barfield’s understanding of Christianity – www.markvernon.com
For more on Ashton – https://ciis.academia.edu/ashtonkohlarnoldy and YouTube @micr0k0sm