He Came Down from Heaven; The Forgiveness of Sins
London: Faber and Faber, 1956. Octavo, original blue cloth, gilt spine, original dust jacket. Early owner signature, gentle toning to clipped (price intact) dust jacket. A near-fine copy. Item #1418
"IF HEAVEN IS A NAME FOR A STATE OF REAL PERFECTION, WE OURSELVES HAVE MOST REMARKABLY 'COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN'"
Second impression of these two, multi-part essays by Charles Williams—an important selection of his religious thought. An excellent copy.
First published together in 1950, He Came Down from Heaven and The Forgiveness of Sins collects "a potpourri of lively writings on heaven, Adam and Eve, the prophets, the Incarnation, the theology of romantic love, and the city, the latter being Williams's ideal community of love" (Zaleski and Zaleski). A brief note on the inner flap of the dust jacket states that "these two long essays make up, with The Descent of the Dove, Charles Williams's principal theological writing." Dedicated to his wife ("To Michal by whom I began to study the doctrine of glory"), He Came Down from Heaven is composed of seven sections. The Forgiveness of Sins is dedicated "To the Inklings" and concludes with a wartime discussion of reconciliation: "The labour towards our enemy, individual or national, is a continual duty—all Christians say so." First published in 1938 and 1945 respectively, this is the second Faber and Faber printing. Lois Glenn. Charles W.S. Williams: A Checklist, I-A-v-1 & I-A-v-4. Zaleski and Zaleski. The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings.
Price: $75.00