The Bible has a literary influence upon English literature not because it has been considered literature, but because it has been considered the report of the Word of God."
—T. S. Eliot
In the latest volume of the Christian Worldview Integration Series, David Lyle Jeffrey and Gregory Maillet give voice to a question-of-the-heart for all Christians in literary studies: "What does Jesus have to do with English literature?"
Answering the Question
To begin answering this question, the authors make a few simple but critical observations. They observe, first of all, that many of the best authors of English-language literature were formed—for better or worse—by the Christian tradition. Then they observe that many of the most recognized aesthetic literary forms derive from biblical exemplars. And finally they observe that many great works of literature demand of readers evaluative judgments of the good, the true and the beautiful that are best understood within a Christian worldview.
Working from these initial observations, Jeffrey and Maillet examine literature and truth, theological aesthetics, and the literary character of the Bible. From there they turn to a brief survey of literature from medieval times to the present, highlighting Christian themes and judgments. Some of Jeffrey’s interesting, earlier studies shine through here—The Early English Lyric and Franciscan Spirituality, By Things Seen: Reference and Recognition in Medieval Thought, and Chaucer and Scriptural Tradition among them. In a concluding chapter the authors suggest a path for budding literary critics through the current state of literary studies.
Integrating Beliefs with Studies
The service that the authors have done for students looking to integrate their beliefs with their studies in literature is this: to locate a critical engagement with Christian ideas at the heart of the great books of Western literature. Even when a bluntly nihilist, post-metaphysical paradigm is at work, as with Beckett's Waiting for Godot, a very basic exchange with the Christian narrative persists.
So if you're a Christian interested in literary studies Christianity and Literature promises to hold up under careful scrutiny. Wheaton College’s eminent essayist Alan Jacobs agrees: "This is a superb book. Jeffrey and Maillet are skilled guides, equally well-versed in Scripture, Christian theology and literary history, and to travel in their company is to be delighted and instructed."
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Christianity and Literature is available now from IVP Academic.
