"A significant contribution. Pope guides us through a good deal of unfamiliar material, forcing us to think about theological questions. He is painstaking in presenting the complex context of theological thought in the German Enlightenment, and he shows how Lenz managed to reach a highly personal and deeply held religious position while also drawing eclectically on the different currents that were circulating at the time. Pope's new look at the plays and the essay is persuasive in the context of the theological material that he has presented to us. It represents a significant new perspective on these canonical works." David Pugh, Department of German Language and Literature, Queen's University "Pope presents a careful and meticulous investigation into Lenz's theological thinking and development. By drawing on Lenz's theological writings generally ignored by scholars, Pope is able to offer new perspectives. The close reading of the theological essays together with Lenz's canonical works is illuminating and allows Pope to correct erroneous perceptions which have persisted in Lenz scholarship as a result of uncritical acceptance of derogatory comments made by Goethe and others." Thilo Joerger, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, Mount Allison University "Pope's scholarship is sound and the point he makes is well-taken. He makes a convincing case for the bearing Lenz's religious development had both on his biography and, particularly, one of his plays." Hans Eichner, emeritus, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, University of Toronto
