A mature scholar and established literary critic, PatrickGrant is professor emeritus of English at the University ofVictoria. He is the author of several books, including Buddhism andEthnic Conflict in Sri Lanka; Literature, Rhetoric, andViolence in Northern Irelands; and Personalism and thePolitics of Culture.

• Contentspreface xiintroduction 1 part i Imperfection1 Plato and the Limits of Idealism 92 The Van Gogh Letters: The Art of the Unfinished 173 The Trouble with Visions31 4 Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Regressive Inversion 415 Osama, Theo, and the Burnt Fool's Bandaged Finger 496 What the Buddha Didn't Say 577 Not So Good News: The Gospel According to Mark 67 part ii Self8 Immortal Souls and State Executions 799 The Eyes Have It: Seeing One's Self and Others 8910 The God of Battles and the Irish Dimension of Shakespeare'sHenry V 9911 Crucifying Harry: Victims, Scapegoats, and the Northern IrelandTroubles 10712 Talking to the Cyclops: On Violence and Self-Destruction 11513 Doing Nothing About It: Taoism, Selflessness, and Non-Action12114 Cliff Jumpers and Delta Dwellers: On Religious Language andCommitment 133 part iii Freedom15 Dr. Johnson, Freedom, and the Book of Psalms 14516 Sex, Society, and Romeo and Juliet 15517 Cartoons from Denmark and the March of the Zombies 16518 Vergil and the Almighty Dollar 17319 Endgame in Sri Lanka: Dharmapala's Legacy andRajapaksa's War 18320 Jung and The Secret of the Golden Flower 19521 Kieslowski's Red: Fraternity in the Making 205 bibliographical notes 225

A mature scholar and established literary critic, PatrickGrant is professor emeritus of English at the University ofVictoria. He is the author of several books, including Buddhism andEthnic Conflict in Sri Lanka; Literature, Rhetoric, andViolence in Northern Irelands; and Personalism and thePolitics of Culture.

• Contentspreface xiintroduction 1 part i Imperfection1 Plato and the Limits of Idealism 92 The Van Gogh Letters: The Art of the Unfinished 173 The Trouble with Visions31 4 Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Regressive Inversion 415 Osama, Theo, and the Burnt Fool's Bandaged Finger 496 What the Buddha Didn't Say 577 Not So Good News: The Gospel According to Mark 67 part ii Self8 Immortal Souls and State Executions 799 The Eyes Have It: Seeing One's Self and Others 8910 The God of Battles and the Irish Dimension of Shakespeare'sHenry V 9911 Crucifying Harry: Victims, Scapegoats, and the Northern IrelandTroubles 10712 Talking to the Cyclops: On Violence and Self-Destruction 11513 Doing Nothing About It: Taoism, Selflessness, and Non-Action12114 Cliff Jumpers and Delta Dwellers: On Religious Language andCommitment 133 part iii Freedom15 Dr. Johnson, Freedom, and the Book of Psalms 14516 Sex, Society, and Romeo and Juliet 15517 Cartoons from Denmark and the March of the Zombies 16518 Vergil and the Almighty Dollar 17319 Endgame in Sri Lanka: Dharmapala's Legacy andRajapaksa's War 18320 Jung and The Secret of the Golden Flower 19521 Kieslowski's Red: Fraternity in the Making 205 bibliographical notes 225

A mature scholar and established literary critic, PatrickGrant is professor emeritus of English at the University ofVictoria. He is the author of several books, including Buddhism andEthnic Conflict in Sri Lanka; Literature, Rhetoric, andViolence in Northern Irelands; and Personalism and thePolitics of Culture.

• Contentspreface xiintroduction 1 part i Imperfection1 Plato and the Limits of Idealism 92 The Van Gogh Letters: The Art of the Unfinished 173 The Trouble with Visions31 4 Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, and Regressive Inversion 415 Osama, Theo, and the Burnt Fool's Bandaged Finger 496 What the Buddha Didn't Say 577 Not So Good News: The Gospel According to Mark 67 part ii Self8 Immortal Souls and State Executions 799 The Eyes Have It: Seeing One's Self and Others 8910 The God of Battles and the Irish Dimension of Shakespeare'sHenry V 9911 Crucifying Harry: Victims, Scapegoats, and the Northern IrelandTroubles 10712 Talking to the Cyclops: On Violence and Self-Destruction 11513 Doing Nothing About It: Taoism, Selflessness, and Non-Action12114 Cliff Jumpers and Delta Dwellers: On Religious Language andCommitment 133 part iii Freedom15 Dr. Johnson, Freedom, and the Book of Psalms 14516 Sex, Society, and Romeo and Juliet 15517 Cartoons from Denmark and the March of the Zombies 16518 Vergil and the Almighty Dollar 17319 Endgame in Sri Lanka: Dharmapala's Legacy andRajapaksa's War 18320 Jung and The Secret of the Golden Flower 19521 Kieslowski's Red: Fraternity in the Making 205 bibliographical notes 225