几乎所有后期象征主义文学家都认为人类的信仰出现了危机,西方世界需要新的拯救,他们曾祈望基督再度降临,但基督教内部的自我拯救希望越来越渺茫。尼采号召以艺术代宗教,填补信仰的空缺,实现信仰的转换,瓦雷里、叶芝和里尔克等响应过这一号召。但艺术作为一种准宗教,它的救赎力量毕竟有限。有些人开始转而关注印度宗教尤其是佛祖信仰,“二战”几乎使他们对基督教的希望变为绝望,也使他们更多地关注佛教的拯救效果。然而,对佛教的寄托能真正挽救人类信仰的倾覆与溃败吗?艾略特也许很快就怀疑并清醒了,所以离不了宗教的他最终选择的是英国国教,而不是佛教。但他的伟大在于把佛教糅入了基督教,从而产生了某种宗教的合力。 Almost all post-symbolist writers believe that there is a crisis in the beliefs of mankind and that the Western world needs new salvation. They once hoped that Christ will come again, but hopes for self-salvation within Christianity are getting slimmer. Nietzsche called for art to replace religion, to fill the vacancies of faith and to achieve the conversion of faith. Valery, Yeats and Rilke responded to this call. But art, as a kind of quasi-religion, has limited salvation power. Some people are turning their attention to Indian religions, especially Buddha’s belief. “World War II” almost turned their hopes of Christianity into despair, and they pay more attention to the salvation effect of Buddhism. However, can the sustenance of Buddhism really save the overthrow and defeat of human faith? Eliot may soon be suspicious of and awake, so he ultimately chose Anglicanism instead of Buddhism. But his greatness lies in the incorporation of Buddhism into Christianity, resulting in some sort of religious cohesion.