The Legacy of William Blake

Whilst believing in God and Jesus, The English artist and poet, William Blake, despised what the established (Anglican) Church of his day had become. This dichotomy can be found in the quotation from Blake with which Pauline concluded today's reading - "All deities reside in the human breast". This would resonate with many Unitarians.
The Church, in Blake's lifetime (1757 – 1827) had reinforced its institutional power over people's lives with moralising, chastising, and confining dogma about "Heaven and Hell", against a social backdrop of the emerging evils of the Industrial Revolution. This contrasted with William Blake's creative legacy, reflecting his child-like exuberance and delight in life.
It's this dichotomy that Kris explored with us today. Kris's reflections included heart-felt readings from some of Blake's best-loved poetry, supported by the poet's own visual illustrations. William Blake found the answers to life - not in the confines of religious dogma but in human passions, joys, and the soaring of the creative imagination, expressed in Art and Poetry. Not to be missed!