This book shows that a major strand in the development of modern poetry in German and English can be seen as a protracted response to the religious crises of post-Idealist thought. It focuses on the hermeneutic dimension of Die Religion.

Poetry and philosophy from the time of Kant to the mid-twentieth century are centrally concerned with the question of how the Spirit - or the Holy Spirit - is present in the world. This book argues that the development of modern poetry in German and English can be seen as a protracted response to the religious crises of post-Idealist thought.