In his celebrated essay Christianity and Poetry Dana Gioia proposes the radical notion that poetry is not merely an important element of the Christian tradition, it is “an essential, inextricable, and necessary aspect of religious faith and practice.” Poetry is the proper idiom for the revelation of divine mystery. 

Analyzing poetry’s role in scripture, Gioia argues that Christian mysteries could not be fully understood or expressed without the power of poetic language. Some truths require the utmost vigor of language to carry their full meaning. He also criticizes contemporary Christianity for the use of stale and prosaic language in its liturgy, translations, and worship. “The Incarnation,” he writes, “deserves an ode, not an email.” 

This is the final, expanded version of Gioia’s influential essay, which was First Things readers' favorite of 2022. His monograph traces the development of Christian poetry, both sacred and literary, from Biblical times to the present. It provides a persuasive, clarifying introduction to the relationship between faith and poetry.

“With his typical eloquence and clarity, Dana Gioia makes the striking two-fold claim that poetry is indebted to Christianity, and Christianity to poetry. Here is a critic at the height of his powers, making the case once again for the value of verse and offering a careful account of the relationship between poetry and faith.”
—Micah Mattix, Poetry Editor, First Things