Saving the Appearances: A Study in Idolatry

191 Pages·1965·15.59 MB·English

by  Barfield

Ski
A
Study
in
Idolatry
Owen
by
Barfield
A brilliant reinterpretation of man's relation to nature and
God in the age of physical science, harbinger book ho4*
SAVING THE APPEARANCES
Saving the Appearances
A
Study in Idolatry
by
OWEN
BARFIELD
A
Harbinger Book
&
Harcourt, Brace World, Inc.
New York
Library ofCongress Catalog CardNumber: 65-23538
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
To
MY BROTHER

FOREWORD
My warm thanks are due to several ofmy
friends for the interest they have taken in this
book; particularly to my brother Dr. R. H.
Barfield (to whom it is dedicated), Mr. T. A.
Barfield, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Davy, Sir
George Rostrevor Hamilton and Professor
C. S. Lewis, all ofwhom have favoured me
with thoughtful comments and practical sug-
gestions, which I have used freely; above all
toDr. A. P. Shepherdforwise aid andcounsel
with my first draft ofthe earlier chapters on
the table between us.

CONTENTS
introduction page II
the rainbow
i. 15
ii. collective representations 19
iii. figuration and thinking 22
iv. participation 28
v. pre-history 36
vi. original participation 40
vii. appearance and hypothesis 46
viii. technology and truth 53
ix. an evolution of idols 58
x. the evolution of phenomena 65
xi. medieval environment 71
xii. some changes 79
xiii. the texture of medieval thought 84
xiv. before and after the scientific 92
revolution
xv. the graeco-roman age (mind and 96
motion)
XVI. ISRAEL 107
XVII. THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEANING Il6
XVIII. THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE 122
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Contents
XIX. SYMPTOMS OF ICONOCLASM page 126
XX. FINAL PARTICIPATION 133
XXI. SAVING THE APPEARANCES 142
XXII. SPACE TIME AND WISDOM 148
XXIII. RELIGION I56
XXIV. THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD 167
XXV. THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM 174
INDEX 187
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