The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-04-29
NOTES FOR THE
BROWNING CLUB.

The Browning Club will take up
the study of "Blaugram's Apology"
at the next meeting, with Mrs. F. D.
Tracy leading:
In group of poems, Browning has
illustrated series of phases of re-
ligious development In Caliban we
find the natural reasoning of the saw
age; in Saul, the prophetic period of
Jewish thought; in Cieon, the cul-
tured reasoning of a Greek; in an
Epistle, the views of an Arab learn
ing of the new religion; i'm "a Death
in the Desert" the mood of a man
who lived at the time of the events
prophesied by David; in "Rabbi Ben
Ezra" the ideas of Jew of later
times; in Bishop Blougram, the rea-
soning of the nineteenth century.
How is the scene of the poem pre-
sented in the first stanza?
What does the Bishop take for
granted as Gigadibs' attitude towards
him in his sociay position?
What sort of criticism had Giga-
dibs been making in his home truths
How do their ideals differ?
What do you think of the Bishops
idea, mot to fancy what were fair in
life provided it could be-but, finding
first what may be, then find how to
make it fair up to our means ?" What
simile does the Bishop presen?
In the Bishops Apology" the
main proposition is, that fixed abso-
! lutte faith and fixed absolute doubt
are both impossible; since you can
not be consistent in either faith or
doubt, choose the better and hold to
it as well as you can.
What do you think of his argument
that you cannot stay fixed in either
unbelief or belief? Notice his re-
mark, that one feels about to find
] some sense in which belief may be
'The Way, the Truth, the Lifew
Explain the effect of close up and
distant point of view. The Bishop
shows that the only gain of unbelief
lis,
"a life of doubt diversified by faith,
For one of faith diversified ny
/ doubt"
| Returning to his smile, how does
he prove, that, to get what he likes
best in life he must claim absolute
belief? How does he compare their
dreams?
| Note the line:
whats midnight doubt before the
dayspring's faith"
On choosing belief, what reasons
does he give for accepting the 'most
absolute form of faith?" What does
he proceed to show that he gains
| thereby? What is the opinion OF
Gigadibs in regard to that kind OF
| success?
If the Bishop admits Gigadibs's i'm
plication that he is beast, do yor
find sound or faulty, his Defense
"My business is not to make myself
But make the absolute best of wha
God made"
He does not acknowledge the &C
cusation, and gives what furthe
reasons against being considered
fool or knave. AS Gigadibs refuse
to admire him, what are his charac
teristic reasons for not attempting
to be Napoleon or Shakespeare
What does he say of enthusiasm
How does he reply to Gigadibs'
objection, that such imperfect fait
is no more available to do faith
work than unbelief?
What do you think of Blougram'
argument, that Creations meant t
hide God all it can 2"
He also says that in him, 'tfait
means perpetual unbelief," implyin
that faith depends upon unbelief an
that its real value consists in it's be
ing held to in spite of all obstacle,
How does he illustrate this? Ho'
does he answer Gigadibs's next OF
/ ioaffn,a that hn 1ifo IL
and grossly?
What do you think of his idea G
living worldly in this world?" Ho'
is the desire "to act up to~our trutl
perceived however feebly" answere
: by the law of instinct?
How does he compare a life {
deceit and life of truth?
His final argument shows that /
: has more worldly gains then Gigadit
;; will ever have. What sort of lii
\ does he admit would be better? Doe
A the Bishops subtlety conquer his OF
ponent? What do you think of I'll
value of Browning's explanator
:, stanzas at the end of the poem Doe
n the Bishop prove his points by the
N material advantage to himself
d Where is the reasoning false? I
d the last stanzas shift the blame b
lie insinuating that Gigadibs was M
worthy of a closer argument?
-, what unexpected way does Gigadil
respond to this talk?
I'll Does this imply that the Christian
ity the Bishop processes is oppose
to the ideas in the last chapter
st. John?
Il -.