Two big books in one week! 1. English Literature and Theology

Just received the first of two big books being delivered this week. This one I so wanted to buy for my sabbatical last year - but £85 in hardback and no paperback edition till May 2009. So with patience born of frustration, I waited. Now it's here, in a stout and well upholstered paperback version, at the more affordable (and justifiable) price of around £25.

The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Theology is one of those books that's about four volumes in one. The first part is an introduction to the relationship between literature and theology. Next comes a chronolgical section with nine chapters on the formation of the tradition, spanning the earliest origins of the English tradition, through reformation, enlightenment and on through romanticism and modernism to postmodernism. This is a 150 page book in its own right.

Part three explores literary ways of reading the Bible and 200 pages are devoted to such literary explorations as the Pentateuch, Judges, Psalms, Song of Songs, Wisdom books, prophetic literature, Gospels, John and apocalyptic. All of them major tributaries of the biblical river. I note, and probably want to reflect on the editorial choices that lay behind the exclusion of a chapter on Pauline literature and OT historical books, each in their own right theology and literary genre. Paul in particular is inextricably woven into the moral categories of Western thought and story, and is inexplicably omitted - Bunyan for example is deeply Pauline in his portrayal of the soul's drama, and Puritan theology was called a Pauline renaissance.

Part four examines theological ways of reading literature and contains chapters on major figures in the English literary tradition. Eleven chapters, 300 pages, and a near comprehensive coverage of major figures and movements. Part five looks at theology as literature, 230 pages on a selection of major theological influential figures - Cranmer, Bunyan, Butler, Keble, Newman, Arnold, C S Lewis - again editorial choices, but a broad selection - Ian Ker on Newman is a 15 page account of a man on whom he wrote a book which at 788 pages is almost as thick as this one!

The last section looks at great theological themes and how they have been treated in literature. Evil and the God of love, death and afterlife, pastoral trditions, the passion story in literature (Paul Fiddes), redemption, heaven and hell and several others. These essays offer important alternative perspectives on Christian doctrine and how foundational doctrines may be better expressed in novel, drama, poem, which aim less at precision and more at cumulative persuasion.

Anyway - not going to read it through. But several of the chapters are on the 'when I have a spare hour' list. Incidentally, not to name drop, but one of the editors, Andrew Hass who lectures in religious studies at University of Stirling, was in the church I attended on Sunday. It occurs to me that when I preach there, I sometimes use literature to help explore theology. Hope he wasn't marking my sermon.........

Comments

[Ken]

Hope it's good - just ordered it for my summer reading when I arrive in UK at the weekend. Your suggestions are usually spot on!

[Jim Gordon]

Hope you've been doing weight training Ken! This a no nonsense brieze block. We can meet and discuss postmodern hermeneutics and literary theory - or maybe not, and instead do a Miss Cranston's cream tea. Your choice!

[Margaret]

Sure your sermons will get ten out of ten!

[Graeme Clark]

My copy of 'The Oxford Handbook of English Literature and Theology' arrived today by crane. No problems in finding shelf space for it though as it will substitute for a coffee table.

I am particularly interested in part 3: literary ways of reading the Bible.

[Jim Gordon]

True enough Graeme - wonder when a Handbook is too big to be called a Handbook? Is it when you need both hands to lift it? But hey - it's an impressive volume to leave on your desk, open more than half way through, as a statement that one is dead erudite so one is! :))