befriending the world: reading literature informed by biblical theology, part 2

Doorway of Salisbury Cathedral, England

Following up from my piece in Christianity Today, this second part consists of the application of the 8 fundamental biblical-theological themes or paradigms that I outlined in my last blog post. What follows are 8 interpretive guidelines that may serve to orient our reading of any work of literature. 

1. J.R.R. Tolkien said that humanity is a "sub-creator" that has the imaginative capacity to create worlds (see his essay, "On Fairy Stories"). To read literature is to enter worlds. As such, we must examine all parts or spheres of these worlds and their interrelationships. Every author wants to say something about each of these spheres. When we read, we enter into the author's world, trying to catch a glimpse of what he or she wants us to see regarding each. As such, we want to enter humbly and tread softly, asking questions of the three main spheres of reality: 
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   1. Anthropology - our understanding of human beings | "What does it mean to be human? How do the humans in the story relate to each other, to themselves? What is humanity's purpose or telos?" 
   2. Cosmology - our understanding of the natural world, the universe or cosmos | "What is nature? What is its purpose? How do humans or the divine relate to it?" 
   3. Theology - our understanding of God, the divine | "Who and what is God? Do I see divine activity in this novel? A lack thereof? How does the divine relate to the human and the natural world?" 
      
      
2. We trace these interrelated parts through the historical-narrative trajectory of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. Each of these can be identified in any work of literature, by any author, in any time and place, whether comedy or tragedy.
   
   
   1. ​Creation: We recognize that the author of our literature (whether living or dead) has been created in God’s image and likeness and thus shares in the capacity to apprehend and communicate truth, goodness, and beauty (Acts 17:26-27; natural law). We honor, affirm, and learn from their contribution to the pursuit of these enduring transcendentals that are sourced in God (whether the author is aware or not) when they do so. Good works of literature are chosen for this reason (not because they do not include examples of morally bad people or behaviors). We affirm their love and life of the good (virtue) and repudiate their love of and participation in evil (vice). 
      
      
   2. Fall: We acknowledge human depravity - the capacity to participate in evil -  though we do not deny human dignity - the capacity to have a share in and contribution of goodness and beauty. The very real broken human state due to sin and the experience of frustration, futility, vanity, corruption, death, and division (exile) in all relationship (God, humanity, nature) are explored. We observe how this frustration awakens longing for wholeness and robust flourishing (sehnsucht; see Lewis' Surprised by Joy) and homecoming (nostos; Israel & Odysseus for example) to our our true home and true selves. 
   3. Redemption: “We do not grieve like those who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). The “groanings” of humanity, the natural world, and God (Romans 8) are identified and directed toward the certain hope for redemption to all who would receive the restoration God desires to give. Student readers are guided by the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love as they “befriend” characters and their world in literature. We have faith that none are beyond redemption and God desires the good and flourishing of every human being. We hope that God will fulfill his promise to all. And we love them with the love of God. Reading literature gives us “practice” in seeing, knowing, and loving different kinds of people in different circumstances. Reading good literature builds up our ability to empathize with other human beings.
      
      
   4. Consummation: We recognize the inherent struggle in each human character between good and evil. Part of this inner struggle involves the dynamic of competing desires and visions for what actually is good and what will actually fulfill our desire to be truly happy. Through the characters of the stories we read, we join our longings with theirs as we anticipate and act in ways that will aid in achieving more of that true consummation of wholeness and happiness in union with God, others, and the world in the proper measure. 
      
      
3. The Bible (and Christ) is fully Divine and fully human. This incarnational reality reveals a divine affirmation of the goodness and value of humanity (and of all material nature), and thus of all things truly human (that which reflects God’s original design vs. the privation of the inherent good due to sin.)
    
4. Thus, while other works of literature are unlike the Bible in its divine nature (except where humanity reflects the glory of God - e.g. 1 Cor. 11:7), literature is like the Bible in its human element. Therefore, we read the Bible like we read other works of literature (with each book's respective genre, etc.) 
   
   
5. Language, literary convention, source historical-cultural context must be entered into as much as possible in any study of literature. Our reading of the text should be guided or controlled by these contextual parameters (humbly respected and gently trodden by us contemporary readers), avoiding chronological snobbery (see Lewis’ essay, "On the Reading of Old Books" and his Experiment in Criticism.
   
   
6. "Blessed are the pure in heart..." which includes the intellect and imagination. We must come to the text with a posture that is committed to engaging in true dialogue with the human author and human characters (or perhaps humanized non-human in fantasy lit.) in the story. Why? for we are told that the pure in heart shall see and know God - and, I would add, everything else aright. Fundamentally, we must come to any author's work with humility - and with an expectation to learn. An openness to see the world differently, and to allow our souls to be expanded in a sort of "intellectual hospitality" (see the lovely lecture given at St. Mary's Church, Oxford by Diana Glyer on the topic). 
   
   
7. Though non-biblical literature is not “God-breathed” as the Bible is, nevertheless, “the wind of God's Spirit blows where it wishes”, and we must acknowledge that part of the “theater of God’s glory” and presence can include the “poured forth speech” (Psalm 19) of human writing that God can use as a means of awakening the reader morally and spiritually. Thus, we encourage a “spiritual reading” of all literature, invoking the “Christian muse”, the Holy Spirit to guide our reading for the sake of his operations on our persons. Thus, all reading (just as all aspects of life) can be “practicing the presence of God”, helping the student become “attuned” to the voice of God in literature. 
   
   
8. All literature is written in the context of a specific community and in some sense must be read faithfully by submitting to certain “authorities” on the text. This is akin to the role of secondary sources. Depending on the source, they speak with a level of authority that is organically tethered to the author’s person and purpose. 

As always, thank you for reading. Feel free to drop a line or tweet at @pegasus_edu.

- Matthew Farrelly 

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