The Anglican Way

"ADVENT"ures with Anglican Poets

Pacific Theological Seminary: Advent 2025

The Rev. Canon David Montzingo, D.Min.

Who are the Anglican poets we will consider? I have selected poems from six different poets in our Anglican tradition, starting in the early 1600s and ending in our own time: John Donne (1572-1631) and George Herbert (1593-1633), Charles Wesley (1707-1788) and John Keble (1792-1866), Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) and Malcolm Guite (1957- ). These well known poets from our tradition are helpful guides for us to enter more deeply into the season of Advent.

What can you expect if you attend this class? Every week I will give a short introduction to two of the Anglican poets, then lead the class in reading and discussing a poem written by each of them. Since poetry is a different mode of expression than prose, I hope that the images and metaphors in the poems will give you a new way of seeing and experiencing our God and his love for us in this special season of Advent.

When and where will this class be offered? We plan to meet on the first three Thursdays of December, the 4th and 11th and 18th, from  6.30 to 7.30, in room 212  at Del Cerro Baptist Church, La Mesa. Everyone is invited to participate, no matter how much or how little experience or interest you have in reading poetry. And, I hope you will invite your friends to “taste and see” these ADVENTures with Anglican Poets.