DOCSLIB.ORG

Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature Ouachita Baptist University Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita Honors Theses Carl Goodson Honors Program 2014 Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature Anna English Ouachita Baptist University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses Part of the Christianity Commons, and the Fiction Commons Recommended Citation English, Anna, "Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature" (2014). Honors Theses. 241. https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/241 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Carl Goodson Honors Program at Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons @ Ouachita. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SENIOR THESIS APPROVAL This Honors thesis entitled "Freejlight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature" written by . J! Anna English and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion of the Carl Goodson Honors Program meets the criteria for acceptance and has been approved by the undersigned readers. TJ,.,:;f];;.Scott Du~d eader Dar?ef Inouye, third reader Dr. Barbara Pembert6n, Honors Program director April 14, 2014 0 RILEY-HICKINGBOTHAM LI BRARY~ OUACHITA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY Freejlight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature English Table of Contents Preface 2 Introduction 3 The Gospel: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Consummation 7 Realism And The Christian Fiction Genre 10 Blaggard 's Moon: Effective Storytelling 13 The Guardian: Cliche Christianity 27 Eli and Joshua: The Modem-Day Jesus 33 Discussing Freejlight 38 Analysis of The Theme of Redemption in Fre~flight 42 Conclusion: The Christian Author's Audience 49 Bibliography 51 Freeflight, The Novel: A Draft 52 Freejlight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature English Preface When I began writing Freeflight in 2008, I did not think of it as part of the "Christian fiction" genre. I intended to write a realistic novel1 containing ideas that interested me, such as unconditional friendship, the effects of fame, and the world of modern rock music. I wrote for a secular audience, envisioning my novel in the mainstream fiction section of a bookstore instead of on the one shelf of Christian fiction squeezed in the back corner. But finding the best balance between Christian themes and a non-Christian audience is a complicated matter. In this thesis, I attempt to identify what aspects of a Christian novel are most effective for conveying the Gospel to non-Christian readers while still providing unequivocal Christian ideas through the story. How does a Christian author write a realistic novel with supernatural content? How can fiction evoke questions in its audience about God and faith without turning non-Christian readers away? To answer these questions in this thesis, I divide the Gospel into four stages or themes that Christian authors may address in their novels, discuss the relationship between Christian authors and realism, analyze the teclmique and redemption theme of four novels in the Christian fiction genre, and analyze the same aspects in my own novel. I include a rough draft of my novel as an example of what I have found to be the most effective in communicating the Gospel to a non- Chtistian audience. While my novel is far from perfect, it contains several qualities that I believe are important to have in a Chtistian novel. 1 The intended genre for Freeflight is a realistic, contemporary novel following the pattern of realism that began in the nineteenth century. According to A Handbook to Literature, realists believe that the truth is "associated with discernible consequences and verifiable by experience" and describe "the common, the average, the everyday" (398). Furthermore, a realistic novel "emphasizes truthful representation of the actual" (399). I hoped to accomplish these goals, as well as to include a touch of the supernatural without compromising them, in writing Freeflight. 2 Freeflight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature English Introduction When writing the first draft of Freeflight, I learned that harmonizing my Christian beliefs with a novel was more complicated than I initially thought. I wanted my story to have a clear Christian background but to also be relatable to readers without a Christian background. But I made a rookie mistake by basing one of the main characters off of myself, imbuing the novel with Christian themes from its conception. Amber Knight was, at the beginning, me, which meant she was a young, white, middle-class Christian with no dramatic story about coming to faith in Christ.2 In terms of her faith, she was a one-dimensional character, static and uninteresting, and her purpose was to be the voice of sense and virtue to contrast with the character in need of redemption: the rock star, Matthew Wolfe. Because Amber's only defining characteristic was that she was a Christian, the novel's natural course was bound to have hints of theology and the Christian faith, but I was unsure how to proceed with those ideas. In the original version of Freeflight, I only hint at God through a mysterious "voice" that converses with Amber, such as in the following discourse: "I-I don't know," I said, the previous fear and helplessness returning full force in the wake of the previous emotions. What was I doing here? How did I get here? Where did I belong? Here. There it was, that voice again. It was warm, soothing, like a caring father. And again, it didn't say words; it was more of an intuition, a feeling so specific that my mind interpreted it as a word. Here. 2 Because of this, I also wrote the first draft of Freejlight in the first person point of view, which focused on a relatively unchanging character, Amber, instead of the most dynamic character, Matthew. 3 Freejlight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature English "Then why can't I remember?" I found myself asking in a voice barely beneath a whisper, just in case the voice could hear me, "What am I supposed to do?" Remember. (Freejlight, first draft 5) I describe the voice as "wann, soothing, like a caring father," yet it has no identity. The reader might assume or guess that the voice is God because it understands Amber's thoughts and speaks to her through "intuition, a feeling," but since I never connect it to God in the story, the voice's identity remains an unhelpful mystery. In fact, I never overtly mention Christianity other than a single discussion about God's nature in which Matthew spouts his misconceptions and Amber silently disagrees. The original draft's theme was that unconditional love changes people's lives - not a far cry from the theme of redemption in many Christian novels, except that the love was not attributed directly to God, nor was it even God's love, but Amber's. If I had taken the first draft of Freeflight seriously, I would have realized that my unstated goal was for Matthew to find redemption in Christ. As it were, the resulting statement of the novel was a vague encouragement to love others and meet their needs, an indistinctness to which I would now object in any novel that claims to have a Christian-based message. By the time I began revising Freeflight, I was starting to think about the genre of Christian fiction and its purpose. Indirectly referring to God and the redemption found tlrrough Him was pointless; the reader could interpret it however he or she chose, nullifying or diluting the intended Christian message. I had encountered novels that made the same mistake and thought them to be worse than purely secular novels in some ways. 3 Therefore, my second draft 3 O.ffivor/d by Robin Parrish is one such novel. The main character repeatedly appeals to a vague higher power to help him overcome tense, action-filled situations, but for much of the book there is no mention of God, or even of a definitive statement that someone or something like God exists, just the fanciful possibility. The characters, when protesting against the antagonist's actions, are suddenly all professed supporters of a power looking after them. A character also spouts off some ideas that, in essence, are Christian, but that sound mystical, such as how a veil separates the spiritual realm from reality. Eventually, the characters leam to gain peace from God, which is good, 4 Free.flight: Conveying Christian Redemption in Realistic Literature English of Freejlight had long conversations involving an awkward blend of ambiguity and outright discussion about God: "So you think love is the answer to everything." "Isn't it supposed to be?" [Matthew] said in a slightly weaker voice. When he glanced at me, I was hit with a sense oflonging for something that was perpetually beyond his reach. Unconditional love, the Voice whispered. "Maybe you're looking for the wrong kind oflove," I offered, following the Voice's lead. "I'm not just talking about romance though," I said. I wasn't sure where I was going with this, but I pushed on. "What about something even deeper?" Matthew raked a hand through his hair. "Are you talking about God again?" he asked wearily. I thought about the Voice. "Yeah." I looked at the cross. Somehow its story was known to me. Its story of sacrifice, of a second chance ... and it gave me the courage to speak. (Freejlight, second draft 88) Amber and Matthew are talking about God, yet even after I imply that the Voice is indeed God, I continue to call it "the Voice." I also mention the cross and "its story of sacrifice, of a second chance" but not how it applies to people today. A conversation that is supposed to prompt the reader to seriously consider the role of God in his or her life leaves the reader confused.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Events of the Reformation Part 1 – Church Becomes Powerful Institution
    May 20, 2018 Events of the Reformation Protestants and Roman Catholics agree on first 5 centuries. What changed? Why did some in the Church want reform by the 16th century? Outline Why the Reformation? 1. Church becomes powerful institution. 2. Additional teaching and practices were added. 3. People begin questioning the Church. 4. Martin Luther’s protest. Part 1 – Church Becomes Powerful Institution Evidence of Rome’s power grab • In 2nd century we see bishops over regions; people looked to them for guidance. • Around 195AD there was dispute over which day to celebrate Passover (14th Nissan vs. Sunday) • Polycarp said 14th Nissan, but now Victor (Bishop of Rome) liked Sunday. • A council was convened to decide, and they decided on Sunday. • But bishops of Asia continued the Passover on 14th Nissan. • Eusebius wrote what happened next: “Thereupon Victor, who presided over the church at Rome, immediately attempted to cut off from the common unity the parishes of all Asia, with the churches that agreed with them, as heterodox [heretics]; and he wrote letters and declared all the brethren there wholly excommunicate.” (Eus., Hist. eccl. 5.24.9) Everyone started looking to Rome to settle disputes • Rome was always ending up on the winning side in their handling of controversial topics. 1 • So through a combination of the fact that Rome was the most important city in the ancient world and its bishop was always right doctrinally then everyone started looking to Rome. • So Rome took that power and developed it into the Roman Catholic Church by the 600s. Church granted power to rule • Constantine gave the pope power to rule over Italy, Jerusalem, Constantinople and Alexandria.
    [Show full text]
  • Holocaust Fiction with a Twist: Christians Imagining Jews in the Shoah a Paper Presented at the Association of Jewish Libraries
    1 Holocaust Fiction with a Twist: Christians Imagining Jews in the Shoah A Paper Presented at the Association of Jewish Libraries Annual Convention, Pasadena, CA June 19, 2012 Mark Stover California State University, Northridge Abstract Over the past 25 years, evangelical Christian authors have written dozens of popular novels across a spectrum of genres that have one theme in common: Jewish characters interacting with Christians during and after the Holocaust. In this paper, I will describe and analyze the works of multiple Christian authors who have written fictional narratives that imagine Jewish characters in a variety of situations related to the Shoah. Many of these books contain what are often referred to as "conversion narratives." I will critique these narratives and will address such questions as intended audience, the legitimacy of writing from an outsider's perspective, and the controversial nature of writing about religious conversion. Introduction I begin this paper by quoting from Yaakov Ariel, who has written a great deal about the nature of evangelical Christian attitudes toward Jews: "One must conclude that the evangelical attitudes toward the Jewish people and their activities on the Jews' behalf derive first and foremost from their evangelical messianic hope, which in its turn represents an entire worldview, conservative and reactive in nature. The evangelicals' pro- Israel attitude and their keen concern for the physical well-being of Jews derive from their beliefs about the function of the Jews in the advancement of history toward the arrival of the Lord. ... Evangelical Christians cannot, therefore, be described as philosemites. Their support of Jewish causes represent an attempt to promote their own agenda and their opinions on Jews have not always been flattering.
    [Show full text]
  • THE SIGNIFICANCE of ALLEGORICAL CHRISTIAN to REPRESENT BUNYAN's LIFE in the PILGRIM's PROGRESS a Thesis Presented to The
    THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ALLEGORICAL CHRISTIAN TO REPRESENT BUNYAN’S LIFE IN THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Program in English Language Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Magister Humaniora (M.Hum) in English Language Studies by Baja Tigor Hasudungan Pasaribu 06. 6332. 014 SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY 2010 Dedicated to My dear mother, Hartini and brother, Oka, v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would acknowledge my supervisor Dr. B.B. Dwijadmoko, M.A. for his supervision. Thank you, Pak Dwi for being so patient, encouraging and supportive. I also thank Mike for his help with my study/thesis. I am grateful for the trust that God has given me to undertake a Masters degree under His financial support. I particularly want to thank mum and bro for the prayers, supports, and encouragements. You have been the best parent and brother God has given me. 8 February 2010 Baja Tigor Hasudungan Pasaribu vi ABSTRACT Baja Tigor Hasudungan Pasaribu. (2009). THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ALLEGORICAL CHRISTIAN TO REPRESENT BUNYAN’S LIFE IN THE PILGRIM’S PROGRESS, Yogyakarta: English Language Studies. Graduate Program. Sanata Dharma University. This thesis talks about The Pilgrim’s Progress, one of the most widely read books in English literature. It is a fiction-prose allegory relating the journey and adventures of Christian, a man who flees the City of Destruction and sets out for the Celestial City. Bunyan uses The Pilgrim’s Progress as a narrative strategy to express his own attitude toward his society and government in his life time. Bunyan personified his own life experiences and faith through the main character of the text (Christian), and bad characters in the text personified all the figure who had suppressed or persecuted him in real life.
    [Show full text]
  • Christian Universalism in the Novels of Denise Giardina William Jolliff George Fox University, [email protected]
    Digital Commons @ George Fox University Faculty Publications - Department of English Department of English 2016 The ideW Reach of Salvation: Christian Universalism in the Novels of Denise Giardina William Jolliff George Fox University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/eng_fac Recommended Citation Jolliff, William, "The ideW Reach of Salvation: Christian Universalism in the Novels of Denise Giardina" (2016). Faculty Publications - Department of English. 28. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/eng_fac/28 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications - Department of English by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Wide Reach of Salvation: Christian Universalism in the Novels of Denise Giardina William Jolliff It would be careless and reductive to refer to Denise Giardina as a regionalist; she is simply someone paying attention to her life. - W. Dale Brown Maybe Denise Giardina has written too well about Appalachia. Storming Heaven (1987) and The Unquiet Earth (1992), the two novels set in the West Virginia coalfields of the author's childhood, have received serious critical attention: but with few exceptions, her other novels have been ignored by academic commentators. Had Giardina written with such perfect and articulate craft about Dublin or London or New York, critics might be slower to think of her simply as a regionalist or even a writer of place. And I suspect she would have less trouble being heard when she says, as she has many times, "As much as I'm an Appalachian writer, I get called a political writer, but the label that is most appropriate for my writing is theological writing" (Douglass 34).
    [Show full text]
  • A Christian Approach to Literary Criticism: a Non- Moralistic View
    A CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO LITERARY CRITICISM: A NON- MORALISTIC VIEW W. G .J. PretorÍUS M. A.-student, Department o f English. PU for CHE The common question: “Is a Christian approach to literary criticism feasible?” may be more profitably reformulated as: “How should a Christian approach to literary criticism be?”. It is clearly not a matter of the possibility of such an approach, but a challenge of formulating a new critical theory. “What could be simpler and easier than to say what a work of art is, whether it is good or bad, and why it is so?” (Olson, 1976, p. 307). The problem of value judgments in literary criticism, contrary to Olson’s view, has proved to be the most complex of all literary problems throughout the history of criticism. It is also thi central issue underlying the distinction between different approaches to literatur The formalist critic is traditionally reticent about value judgments and con­ centrates upon close reading of texts and implicit evaluation. Contemporary formalists, however, tend to move away from the ideal of critical objectivity On the other hand, the moralist critic is primarily concerned with the purpose of the literary work. In Naaldekoker, D. J. Opperman seriously doubts the possibility of a Calvinist approach to art, which he regards as a contradictio in terminis (pp. 61-63). I shall attempt in this essay to show that there is a valid literary criticism which is neither exclusively based on aesthetic judgment, nor an attempt to subordinate literature to religion in a moralistic way, and that such criticism originates from a C hristian vision o f life.
    [Show full text]
  • Christian Communication and Its Impact on Korean Society : Past, Present and Future Soon Nim Lee University of Wollongong
    University of Wollongong Thesis Collections University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Year Christian communication and its impact on Korean society : past, present and future Soon Nim Lee University of Wollongong Lee, Soon Nim, Christian communication and its impact on Korean society : past, present and future, Doctor of Philosphy thesis, School of Journalism and Creative Writing - Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 2009. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3051 This paper is posted at Research Online. Christian Communication and Its Impact on Korean Society: Past, Present and Future Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Wollongong Soon Nim Lee Faculty of Creative Arts School of Journalism & Creative writing October 2009 i CERTIFICATION I, Soon Nim, Lee, declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Department of Creative Arts and Writings (School of Journalism), University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Soon Nim, Lee 18 March 2009. i Table of Contents Certification i Table of Contents ii List of Tables vii Abstract viii Acknowledgements x Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Christianity awakens the sleeping Hangeul 12 Introduction 12 2.1 What is the Hangeul? 12 2.2 Praise of Hangeul by Christian missionaries
    [Show full text]
  • “Messengers of Justice and of Wrath”: the Captivity
    ―Messengers of Justice and of Wrath‖: The Captivity-Revenge Cycle in the American Frontier Romance A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Brian P. Elliott June 2011 © 2011 Brian P. Elliott. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled ―Messengers of Justice and of Wrath‖: The Captivity-Revenge Cycle in the American Frontier Romance by BRIAN P. ELLIOTT has been approved for the Department of English and the College of Arts and Sciences by Paul C. Jones Associate Professor of English Benjamin M. Ogles Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT ELLIOTT, BRIAN P., Ph.D., June 2011, English ―Messengers of Justice and of Wrath‖: The Captivity-Revenge Cycle in the American Frontier Romance Director of Dissertation: Paul C. Jones This project explores the central importance of captivity and revenge to four novels in the genre of frontier romance: Charles Brockden Brown‘s Edgar Huntly (1799), James Fenimore Cooper‘s Last of the Mohicans (1826), Catharine Maria Sedgwick‘s Hope Leslie (1827), and Robert Montgomery Bird‘s Nick of the Woods (1837). Although a fundamental plot aspect of nearly every work in the genre, the threat of captivity and the necessity of revenge are rarely approached as topics of inquiry, despite their deep connection to the structure and action of the texts. Perhaps most importantly, as critics Jeremy Engels and Greg Goodale note, these twin tropes serve as a way of unifying disparate social groups and creating order; in essence, such depictions function as a form of what Michel Foucault terms ―governmentality,‖ logics of control that originate from non-governmental sources but promote systems of governance.
    [Show full text]
  • Samuel Cheon Course Theme: CREATION in the BIBLE
    Christianity and History of Science Instructor: Samuel Cheon Course Theme: CREATION IN THE BIBLE, THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE: A HISTORICAL AND INTER- DIALOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Institution: Hannam University,Graduate School of Theological Interdisciplinary Studies, Taejeon, South Korea COURSE DESCRIPTION 1. FORMATION This course is offered in the fall 2002 semester by Dr. Samuel Cheon, Professor of Old Testament at Graduate School of Theological Interdisciplinary Studies, Hannam University, with the assistance of guest lecturers. The course is offered for students in the Th.M. program and entitled as Christianity and History of Science according to the school’s academic plan. The course meets every Thursday in two- hour sessions, for sixteen weeks. Each class consists of presentation, lecture and discussion. Guest lecturers include Dr. Dekryong Kim, Professor of Philosophy; Dr. Jongyong Lee, Professor of Physics, at Hannam University; Dr. Jeongkeun Ahn, Professor of Molecular Biology and Genetics at Chungnam University. Selection of guest lectures is ongoing, and one or two more may be added. 2. GOALS The goals of the course will be for students (1) to articulate definitions for both science and theology, considering their respective tasks and the inherent limits of their methods and objectives; (2) to arrive at a critical historical understanding of the interaction between Christian theology and natural science, especially biblical interpretations and scientific views, minimizing their prejudice of each of the two fields; (3) to develop their historical, hermeneutical and theological horizon of creation, relating to the contemporary natural sciences; (4) to relate their understanding of theology and science to their ministerial context and preaching, especially having a new interpretive perspective of biblical creation stories; (5) to develop some basic skills for interdisciplinary research of science and theology.
    [Show full text]
  • ABSTRACT Reclaiming Peace: Evangelical Scientists And
    ABSTRACT Reclaiming Peace: Evangelical Scientists and Evolution After World War II Christopher M. Rios, Ph.D. Advisor: William L. Pitts, Jr., Ph.D. This dissertation argues that during the same period in which antievolutionism became a movement within American evangelicalism, two key groups of evangelical scientists attempted to initiate a countervailing trend. The American Scientific Affiliation was founded in 1941 at the encouragement of William Houghton, president of Moody Bible Institute. The Research Scientists‘ Christian Fellowship was started in London in 1944 as one of the graduate fellowship groups of Inter-Varsity Fellowship. Both organizations were established out of concern for the apparent threat stemming from contemporary science and with a desire to demonstrate the compatibility of Christian faith and science. Yet the assumptions of the respective founders and the context within which the organizations developed were notably different. At the start, the Americans assumed that reconciliation between the Bible and evolution required the latter to be proven untrue. The British never doubted the validity of evolutionary theory and were convinced from the beginning that conflict stemmed not from the teachings of science or the Bible, but from the perspectives and biases with which one approached the issues. Nevertheless, by the mid 1980s these groups became more similar than they were different. As the ASA gradually accepted evolution and developed convictions similar to those of their British counterpart, the RSCF began to experience antievolutionary resistance with greater force. To set the stage for these developments, this study begins with a short introduction to the issues and brief examination of current historiographical trends.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Redemption
    THE HISTORY OF REDEMPTION by Jonathan Edwards 1 CONTENTS Preface 3 Advertisement 5 General Introduction and Doctrine 6 PERIOD ONE: FROM THE FALL TO THE INCARNATION 15 Part One: From the Fall to the Flood 16 Part Two: From the Flood to the Calling of Abraham 27 Part Three: From the Calling of Abraham to Moses 32 Part Four: From Moses to David 42 Part Five: From David to the Babylonian Captivity 58 Part Six: From the Babylonian Captivity to the Coming of Christ 78 Period 1 Improvement 100 PERIOD TWO: THE TIME OF CHRIST’S HUMILIATION 108 Part One: Of Christ’s Becoming Incarnate to Qualify Himself for the Purchase of Redemption 108 Part Two: Of the Purchase Itself 114 Improvement 130 PERIOD THREE: FROM CHRIST’S RESURRECTION TO THE END OF THE WORLD 138 Introduction 139 Part One: Of Those Things Whereby Christ Was Put Into an Immediate Capacity for Accomplishing the Ends of His Purchase 145 Part Two: How Christ Accomplished This Success 148 Application 189 Improvement of the Whole 224 2 PREFACE It has long been desired by the friends of Mr. Edwards, that a number of his manuscripts should be published, but the disadvantage under which all posthumous publications must necessarily appear, and the difficulty of getting any considerable work printed in this infant country hitherto, have proved sufficient obstacles to the execution of such a proposal. The first of these obstacles made me doubt, for a considerable time after these manuscripts came into my hands, whether I could, consistently with that regard which I owe to the honour of so worthy a parent, suffer any of them to appear in the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Leland Ryken's Literary Approach to Biblical Interpretation: an Evangelical Model
    JETS 37/1 (March 1994) 115!124 LELAND RYKEN'S LITERARY APPROACH TO BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION: AN EVANGELICAL MODEL ROBERT A. W E A T H E R S * The increasing use of literary approaches in Biblical interpretation has left many evangelicals baffled. They usually take a stand either in opposi- tion to this shift in interpretation, seeing it as another liberal intrusion, or they search for an acceptable way to integrate a literary perspective into a grammatico!historical methodology without surrendering an evan- gelical view of inspiration. Actually no extreme is necessary for an evan- gelical model or acquisition of a literary approach. Literary approaches emphasize literary portions of the Bible and often insist that literary artifice is the Bible's primary characteristic. The popu- larity of literary approaches has arisen in part from the disillusionment that interpreters feel with the historical!critical method. Whereas histori- cal methodology divides and subdivides texts for study, a literary ap- proach seeks the unity of the text, trying to make connections with the literary nature of the canon, the book, and the immediate context. Advocates of a literary approach to Biblical interpretation conceive of the shift away from the historical!critical method as a paradigm shift in herme! neutics. The shift in hermeneutical emphasis accompanies the current shift in western thought from the modern to the postmodern era. Cartesian du- alism characterized the modern age and resulted in the mechanistic para- digms that saturated many disciplines. Literary scholars advance that the historical!critica l method, a product of modernism, has failed to bring unified meaning to the Biblical text for the Christian community.
    [Show full text]
  • Satan As Provacateur in Puritan Ministers' Writings, 1
    “SO SATAN HATH HIS MYSTERIES TO BRING US TO ETERNAL RUINE:” SATAN AS PROVACATEUR IN PURITAN MINISTERS’ WRITINGS, 1662–1704 Michael Kneisel A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS May 2014 Committee: Ruth Wallis Herndon, Advisor Bernard Rosenthal © 2014 Michael Kneisel All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Ruth Wallis Herndon, Advisor Satan was a prominent figure in American Puritan theology in the late seventeenth century, and the witchcraft trials provide a unique opportunity to analyze how religious leaders thought about Satan. As I will show, Puritan ministers and lawmakers transformed the Devil into a character with increased power and agency during the period of the Sale Witch Trials. This transformation is revealed in the writings of these six Puritan ministers during the era of the witchcraft trials, when concerns about Satan’s activity reached fever pitch. The amorphous, undefined characterization of the Devil in the Bible allowed these ministers to perceive Satan in a variety of roles, including that of independent agent or provocateur. Much of the secondary material on the witch trials regards actual explanations about why they occurred and why they were so severe and numerous in Salem. This project diverges from existing scholarship in that I am not looking to explain about why the Salem witch trials they occurred or why they were so severe and numerous. My work moves in a different direction, examining how Puritan ministers thought about Satan as a critical element of the events. Focusing on their beliefs about Satan, his agency, and his potential power will give a new perspective on the events of the Salem Witch Trials, as well as on Puritan society in the late seventeenth century.
    [Show full text]