Slow Pilgrim

“Scott Cairns collected his poems in a new book entitled Slow Pilgrim, which recollects his pilgrimage as a Christian in many of the poems. Published by Paraclete Press, who kindly sent me a copy to review, the book brings theology and poetry together as often done by poets of the past. In this case, the pilgrimage comes through an embrace of the Orthodox church and apophatic theology, which helps us to know God, not by comparisons or figurative language but by showing us Who and What God is not. However, the poems also connect us to everyday events with a realism lacking in typical ‘religious verse.’ As the Introduction tells us, these ‘poems address us in our quotidian experience of life: they are best experienced in an armchair, not in church.’
For example, ‘Archaeology: A Subsequent Lecture,’ recalls:
‘…the pleasure lies
in fingering loose ends toward likely shape,
actually making something of these bits
of persons, places, things one finds once one
commences late interrogation
of undervalued, overlooked terrain –
what we in the business like to call the dig.’
In addition to digging through our collective or individual past, these poems give us a new take on familiar Bible stories and intimate relationships. The more we read them, the more we begin to glimpse God drawn in the negative spaces of our lives and these highly recommended poems. —Mary Harwell Sayler, Poetry Editor & Poetry

“Allowing yourself to be taken along with Cairns in these poems written across four decades is not an endeavor to be undertaken lightly. Cairns is no safe Christian thinker, dispensing tidbits of wisdom and truth to those poor oafs among us who still find faith and life is difficult. He writes the truth as best he can articulate it (as good as all poets do)...Cairns is well versed in Christian theology, and his poetry will be a joy to those of us who are afflicted with the condition of being theologians. His poems are replete with illusions and inspirations from Greek saints, Christian doctrines and Scripture. The series of poems ‘Adventures in New Testament Greek’ is a particular delight. In it, Cairns takes a single word and contemplates it in such a way that it unlocks, allowing the fullness of the gospel to shine through it. David Bentley Hart once wrote that ‘God is no more likely (and probably a good deal less likely) to be found in theology than in poetry or fiction.’ This collection stands as a confirmation of this observation. The God who gives life, who is the end and aim of all beauty and good, can be seen poking his wry smile through these pages. This book is a gift, a companion and a joy. Cairns has managed to bequeath to us a collection of poems so alive with Christian truth, and so unreservedly human, that we can do little else but receive it with gratitude and squeak out a meager ‘thank you’.” —Stephen Lawson, Englewood Review of Books