This is a copy of my response to the article on Shakespeare’s religion that I emailed to First Things. If anyone is interested, you can check out my book “Shakespeare on Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare’s Plays” on Amazon.—http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Spirituality-Life-Changing-Wisdom-Shakespeares/dp/1594571465/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209495505&sr=1-1

I was disappointed in reading Robert Miola’s article on “Shakespeare’s Religion” to see the truths of Shakespeare’s plays muddled in the debate of whether they are Protestant or Roman Catholic.  The bottom line is that in Shakespeare’s plays intent readers or audiences will find spiritual and religious teachings that could be appropriated into either camp.  True, the concept of purgatory discussed by Mr. Miola is of Roman Catholic origin; however, I think the examples he cites of “penance” in Leontes’ soft words to Camillo in The Winter’s Tale and Macbeth’s quote of regret as examples of Roman Catholic concepts versus Protestant principles overshadow the mere spiritual truths in these citations.  The confessional friendship of Leontes to Camillo is Biblical as well as Roman Catholic. (see James 5.16)  There is no doubt that Shakespeare places a premium on personal responsibility in his plays, but like Scripture does he offers support for predestination and personal responsibility.  For example, in All’s Well that Ends Well, the wise Helena counsels,

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie,
Which we ascribe to heaven: the fated sky
Gives us free scope, only doth backward pull
Our slow designs when we ourselves are dull” (Act I, scene i)

On the other hand, Hamlet bemoans his predestined fate,

“The time is out of joint: O cursed spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!” (Act I, scene v)

These are not perfect examples of the conflicting sides of the theological argument of predestination, but they prove that examples can be found for trying to weigh the religious lessons of the plays in favor of Roman Catholicism or Protestantism.  Either way, it is a shame to study spiritual genius of the plays for such a purpose rather than for identifying the truths revealed for pure appreciation and enlightenment.  I’m sure that in Mr. Miola’s case it is such appreciation and reverence for Shakespeare’s plays that led to this argument in the first place.

What I have found is that Shakespeare’s plays illustrate so many of the themes of the Bible.  As in reading the Bible, one can continually read Shakespeare’s plays for edification and revelation of truths.  To read it in hopes of proving his Catholicism or Anglicanism is to miss the point, I think.  There are myriad spiritual and religious lessons that Roman Catholics and Protestants, as well as Buddhists for that matter, can learn from the plays and apply to their lives.

Blessings,

Craig Stephans

Author of Shakespeare on Spirituality: Life-Changing Wisdom from Shakespeare’s Plays

I, too, was a little disappointed in this article, though it seems that Shakespearean literary criticism has become more interested in the question of Shakespeare’s religious preferences in recent years.  As a “sometime” Shakespearean I find all kinds of sermon illustrations in the plays.  I sometimes worry that I am boring people with my references to the plays. When I finished seminary I realized that more of my theology (and anthropology) was formed by those years of Shakespeare teaching and thought than by anything we read in Theology classes.  Ken Semon

“Shakespeare activates these features in decidedly irreligious or ironic ways.”

May God have mercy on Eric S. Mallin and Christ have mercy on the rest of us.  May Brother Mallin meet his maker with all of his literary features fully activated.

As a longtime teacher, I liked the article and would recommend it.  It combines historical and literary features in an accessible way.  I think it shows that Shakespeare used religious language in a great variety of ways—as would be expected from a dramatist.  Above all, I thought it showed what an indelible deposit the Catholic Church had left in England—as judged by this great writer—despite the shift to the protestant Church of England.