The Light of the World: Christianity, Cultural Politics, and Constitutional Reform
Remport provides a new perspective on the politics of Lady Gregory's drama, considering it in the light of Ruskin's thought. She addresses a wide range of plays to counter the view that Lady Gregory supported militant Irish nationalism. Recognising the importance of Ruskin's Christian religious beliefs, Remport illustrates the depth to which the political dimension of her Irish plays was motivated by her own Christian beliefs. Remport contrasts the Christian aspect of Lady Gregory's plays with that of Patrick Pearse, educationalist, nationalist, and militant leader of the 1916 Rising. She shows how Ruskin's social and artistic philosophy influenced both Lady Gregory and Patrick Pearse, even as Lady Gregory espoused a reformist politics of Christian reconciliation at variance with Pearse's revolutionary politics of Christian sacrifice.