The Bible and American Literature
This course surveys American literary responses to the spiritual demands of Christianity expressed in select Biblical passages and narratives, as reflected in the evangelical protestant tradition of Jonathan Edwards and writers who have bitterly criticized it. We will examine how writers of different times and regions responded to this tradition, raising and exploring such questions as: How can Christian belief and conduct be defined in a continually changing America? Can a life "in imitation of Christ" result in more than victimization? How can a minister, serving a worldly congregation, know the degree to which his words are sacred or profane? Writers will include Edwards, Hawthorne, Stowe, Melville, Eliot, West, Baldwin and Robinson. (formerly RELI/AMLT 0279) 3 hrs. lect.