Pen of Iron makes a convincing case that it is impossible to fully appreciate American literature without knowing the King James Bible—indeed, without knowing it almost instinctively, the way generations of Americans used to know it.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Script and scripture ...
... Heirs to the Throne. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
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Reading a review of a book cannot be a substitute for reading the book; however, I would venture a refinement of Alter's thesis (as proffered by the reviewer): it is impossible to appreciate fully American literature without knowing the singular American reading (i.e., Puritan reading) of the King James Bible because so much of American literature has been influenced by that Puritan heritage; in other words, more is involved in American literature than the KJV, and that involvement can only be understood fully by an immersion into the pre-Revolutionary Puritan and Calvinist mind.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very good point - indeed an essential point, R.T. It is also why I regard Captain Ahab as the quintessential Calvinist.
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