Unveiling Transcendence. William Blake and the Book of Daniel

What if apocalyptic biblical literature is not best interpreted through historical events, though they certainly have a bearing, nor through the symbolic, as if the imagery should be decoded? Instead, these texts are educations in imagination, reorientating readers to the vision of God.

Such an understanding of the apocalyptic, which means “unveiling”, was certainly the view of William Blake and is a way to read the Book of Daniel, according to Professor Stephen Cook. His new commentary on Daniel brings Blake and others into conversation with the Old Testament book, which doubly makes sense as Blake was certainly in conversation with Daniel.

This approach treats Daniel as a profound theological and visionary work of hope, rather than a rigid end-times code or literal prediction of future historical events.

Dr. Stephen L. Cook is the Catherine N. McBurney Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Virginia Theological Seminary. His commentary is part of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Prophetic Books series.

Dr Mark Vernon is a writer and psychotherapist, who has written on Christianity and Owen Barfield, Dante as a spiritual journey, and most recently, on Blake as a guide for our times.

For more on Stephen - https://vts.edu/faculty/stephen-l-cook/

For more on Mark and his book "Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination" - https://www.markvernon.com/