Just a short post to throw my good friend a bone (you know who you are!).
I was interested to hear that Q Prentice is working on a research proposal that examines literature in light of the Biblical story. I'm trying to tackle my research from the other angle--examining the Bible in light of literary theory. I'm particularly interested in the concept of closure in literature and if it helps to illuminate some biblical (well actually OT) narratives. I'm just a bit worried that I will get nailed on being anachronistic--using modern literary theory on ancient texts. It won't stop me from plowing ahead. I think where biblical scholars go wrong on this point is leveraging modern theories but then using them as a standard against which to judge the ancient literature.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Bible and Literature
Posted by Dave at 6:23 AM
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3 comments:
Two good works to consider are by Oxford Baptist theologian (and literary critic!) Paul S. Fiddes:
(1) "Freedom and Limit: A Dialogue Between Theology and Literature" has a section on "the shape of the story" in which Fiddes speaks of two ways the Bible has been read (The U-shaped curve (c.f. Northrup Frye) which is in Reformed parlance Creation-Fall-Redemption; and The Tension Between Freedom and Limit (relying a lot on Koheleth and Ecclesiastes)). Fiddes favours the latter on the bases of the openness of Christian eschatology.
2. Which looks forward to his later work "The Promised End: Eschatology in Theology and Literature." In this he specifically tackles theology of "the end" or eschatology and brings these into dialogue with theories of the end in literature from Frank Kermode, through Frye to Derrida and Barthes.
He's a really fascinating read and, to be honest, one of my lights in a lot of critical darkness.
brilliant, mate! thanks and keep the suggestions coming!
It fills me with warm feelings to us all back here again.
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