Abstract

Dr. Reverend Raymond Roseliep was a Catholic priest and haiku poet who through the means of poetry brought up theological themes which served as a “common” mode of experiencing spirituality. Through his poetry, Roseliep created a public theological conversation with his readers and audience who might be spiritual but probably were not Catholic. His haiku pushed the boundaries for his time as he wrote about spirituality and experimented with the haiku form. He also wrote about themes that would be scandalous for him to write about as a priest. Because of the origin of haiku, Roseliep came into contact with Buddhism and was influenced by its philosophy and aesthetic. In some of his haiku, he created interfaith poems that drew from the wells of both traditions to show the mystery of the Divine. His published haiku, his essays on poetry, and interviews show how deep his views on the sacramental nature of poetry were and how the poet was coworking with God. A close reading of his work gives a robust understanding of his theopoetics and his sacramental poetics. His poetry serves as a bridge and as a model for the common person to enter into conversations about the Divine. This paper considers how a priest like Roseliep can express his sacramental and theopoetic beliefs publicly outside of the context of the Church through the medium of poetry and how poetry can be a means of theological reflection for both clergy and the laity.

Presenters

Nicky Gutierrez
Student, Master of Arts in Theopoetics and Writing, Bethany Theological Seminary, Indiana, United States

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Narratives and Identity

KEYWORDS

Interfaith, Poetry, Theopoetics, Religious Identity, Religious Reflection, Interspiritual

Digital Media

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