A Spiritual Bloomsbury is an exploration of how three English writers—Edward Carpenter, E.M. Forster, and Christopher Isherwood—sought to come to terms with their homosexuality by engagement with Hinduism. Copley reveals how these writers came to terms with their inner conflicts and were led in the direction of Hinduism by friendship or the influence of gurus. Tackling the themes of the guru-disciple relationship, their quarrel with Christianity, relationships with their mothers and the problematic feminine, the tensions between sexuality and society, and the attraction of Hindu mysticism; this fascinating work seeks to reveal whether Hinduism offered the answers and fulfillment these writers ultimately sought. Also included is a diary narrating Copley's quest to track down Carpenter's and Isherwood's Vendantism and Forster's Krishna cult on a journey to India.
Antony Copley is Honorary Reader at the University of Kent.
Chapter 1 ProloguePart 2 Managing the TransgressiveChapter 3 Between Two Gurus: Edward Carpenter and Walt WhitmanChapter 4 Between Two Gurus: Edward Carpenter and Illakanam the GrammarianChapter 5 The Disciple Turned Guru: Edward Carpenter, Sexologist and MysticPart 6 Love in AbsentiaChapter 7 Forster, Religion and SexualityChapter 8 Forster and the Krishna CultPart 9 The Atman DeniedChapter 10 Isherwood and Swami Prabhavananda: The Guru-Disciple RelationshipChapter 11 Isherwood's Vedantist Quest: Transcending the EgoChapter 12 EpilogueChapter 13 Appendix: Indian Diary 1999
Highly recommended for those interested in sexuality, religion, and Hinduism.
