Jonathan S. Jackson - The Moral and Spiritual Vision of Edward de Vere

Jonathan S. Jackson takes a closer look at the spiritual influences of Edward de Vere and their presence in the works of Shakespeare. With de Vere’s depth of knowledge, multilingual capabilities and historical interests -- all of which transcended his cultural milieu -- what other religious traditions might have inspired the 17th Earl of Oxford? Specifically, I will suggest, based on Shakespeare’s body of work and the letters and poems of de Vere, that Greek Orthodox Christianity has much in common with the poet’s spiritual vision. Eastern Christianity remains the most poetical and art-affirming of Christian traditions, developing an ethos that is much closer to the spirit of Shakespeare than seen in the western Churches. Was there significant influence from this earlier Christian tradition that helped the poet transcend the most polemical elements of the Catholic-Protestant conflict?
Many -- including J. Thomas Looney -- have stated that the works of Shakespeare transcend the
16th Century Protestant-Catholic struggle, with striking moments of spiritual insight oftentimes
offering a more poetical and mystical expression of faith than what was readily accessible in
England at the time. Shakespeare’s wrestling with conscience, for instance, is not puritanical; it
carries the spirit of a poet -- there is nuance, subtly, exceptions, divine economy and paradox.
Significantly, on December 24, 1581, a religious work of St. John Chrysostom, Upon the Epistle
to the Ephesians, was published and dedicated to Oxford’s wife, Anne Cecil. St. John
Chrysostom is one of the most revered Fathers of Greek Orthodox Christianity. De Vere’s
knowledge of Ancient Greek would have made it possible for him to become acquainted not only
with Greek philosophers and pagan literature, but also with the Greek Fathers of Christianity,
even those not yet translated into English. The dedication of Chrysostom is evidence that de Vere
and Anne had some familiarity with Eastern Christian thought. In addition to this, while living in
Venice, it is known that de Vere attended the Greek Orthodox Church and sent a Greek New
Testament to Anne as a gift.
Jackson also looks closely at neglected passages from Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier and
how they express a spiritual ethos much aligned with the works of Shakespeare and Eastern
Christian thought. In other words, within Christendom (the world in which Edward de Vere lived
and wrote) there is a third door to consider, which has been neglected within the realm of the
Authorship Question.
Bio: Jonathan S. Jackson is a multi-dimensional artist: an actor, musician, author, filmmaker and
lecturer. His life in the arts began at the age of eleven as an actor on General Hospital, where his
performances garnered him five Emmy Awards. After many years working in feature films such
as Tuck Everlasting and Insomnia, he starred in the renowned drama Nashville for six seasons.
This is his second SOF Conference.

[@postoak2755]

Thank you for this lovely talk!

[@leonstenutz6003]

10:33 "Hamlet thinks syncretically, reconciling rather than banishing paradox".

[@StarShippCaptain]

Nicely done.

[@JaneHallstrom1]

Thank you for this thoughtful presentation! "Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrines of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." - Joseph Smith, D&C121:45-46

[@dekafer123]

Well done.

[@wynnsimpson]

I love your calm delivery. Many SOF researchers seem to rush through their presentations. You opened a window into my belief in Edward Oxenford as the writer that I did not realize was closed!

[@petersz98]

De Vere is to Shakespeare what Antonia Salierie is to Mozart. Mozart was actually a pupil of Salieri and Salieri wrote operas in three languages which were popular at the time. Leaving aside the myth they were enemies, they were actually friends, and Salieri poisoned Mozart because of jealousy, Salieri's work has been mostly forgotten because Mozart's genius just totally outclassed his work.

[@heartofjesusdj]

Also, dualism is a heresy condemned by The Church. Roman Catholicism never promoted dualism.

[@heartofjesusdj]

There is mystery in the Catholic faith. Prayer to the Saints isn’t superstition, I might add. There are definite problems with the Orthodox Church as well

[@StevenBeeney-b5t]

Absolutely brilliant! Thank God I am not alone. Having a high IQ, artistic and scholarly temperaments, that God saw fit to bless-afflict me with, have put me in/outside any church or synagogue. But enough of me. More of the real God, please. More beauty, inspiration, virtue, and most of all Love for my sad, dull, angry neighbors thru me while I still can. If I cal love my cat so much, how much more does god Love me. See also, The Figure of Beatrice by Charles Williams a central member of the Inklings, w JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.

[@peckerwood6078]

Well spoken and thoroughly considered! Thank you for the elevated discourse. deVere deserves as much. If the lens is caused to focus on a limited field or purpose there can only be that which is within its scope revealed. A very favourite professor once said that "Science is a light in the dark and that which is beneath the light can be more fully considered. But there's still a whole hell of a lot of dark." You will have then been able to see but partially & much yet as though through a crystal darkly. The Christian scope and the field of Christ alone is bereft of its full foil. The Hellenistic overe of Christs life is an integrated syncretic view. Seemingly wholistic but yet brutally limited. More importantly looking at deVere as a world within himself as opposed to his being a product of a process gives him short shrift* in the final analysis. Certainly the claim of the supremacy of the Bible in literary reference being that which informed and registered all in the mindset of the 16th century Anglo-Norman intellect, like a three legged stool sits true on the rudest of floor. Yet not any Bible as much as in the vernacular from whence Shakespeare drew many Castilian draughts to satiate his muse of fire tis fair. T'was not Mystery that pricked him on rather the esoteric faculty of Wisdom Antient, distilled and pure which with Strength & Beauty were alloyed in making his philosophy impenetrable. So a little adjustment to reach further to the mark where virtue lies. Without Wisdom to rule over Strength destruction will eventually prevail, but when melded with Wisdom is then Beauty made of power thus expertly wielded to great effect. Equally so the trivium of text and not the bifurcated is where, as Solan admonished that "knowledge white with age" taught at Khemet is best sought, to temper the circlet encompassing of an age. When have added two the final corner of the trilogy of texts, that predicator of KJV (Oxfords Geneva), Shakespeares' 1stFo. - "The Work" will yield the "Trivium within the Quadrivium" which John Dee spoke of and taught in his School of Night, like an high 12 equatorial Obelisk otherworldly without shadow thus fully revealed. Look to Cosimo and not the Cosmos for the Tris Magistus! *www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20shrift

[@JaneHallstrom1]

"The Astronomer Royal of Great Britain has recently written about one of astronomy's most puzzling and astonishing mysteries: dark matter. Apparently, the majority of the physical universe consists of material that science has not yet been able to detect. The large majority. As Martin Rees admits, 'it's embarrassing that more than ninety per cent of the universe remains unaccounted for.' ...we hear the ring of truth and relevant wisdom in Rees's conclusion: what we can 'see, as it were, [is] just the white foam on the wave-crests, not the massive waves themselves.' If we wish to penetrate those massive waves that constitute the ebb and flow of eternity, we will need all our resources, including those of art, of our moral sense, and of love." - Terryl Givens, The Crucible of Doubt - pp 20-21