Core Books

The premise of chapter one is the Bible has had a major impact on the world, especially with its contributions to Greek philosophy and thought. Greek philosophers believed there was one “unifying principle in the cosmos” (21) and that everything could be identified and reasoned with through logic. As Oswalt states, this brought into conflict the thought of a myth based polytheistic society to a monotheistic mindset.

Regardless of personal beliefs or opinions, it is nearly impossible to imagine the existence of modern English literature without the influence of religion. Since the dawn of recorded history, religion has played a vital, recurring role in works of fact and fiction, alike. In his book How to Read Literature Like a Professor, author Thomas Foster asserts several points about this relationship between religion and literature, especially in relation to the image of Christ, and states, “Culture is so influenced by its dominant religious systems that whether a writer adheres to the beliefs or not, the values and principles of those religions will inevitably inform the literary work” (125).

Throughout history, literature has served as a prominent tool in the examination of social values, ideas, and dreams. In addition, literature has provided a vital connection between historical, social, and political events. Through the incorporation of religious principles and philosophies, writers have discovered a way to portray different time periods, characters, feelings, and most importantly God.

In the fourteenth chapter of Thomas C. Foster’s How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster depicts all the elements found in a Christlike character. To begin, a simple fact is stated; “we live in a Christian culture” (124). Foster declares this to establish the fact that Christianity is a predominant religion on Earth, and it greatly impacts it’s surrounding civilizations. “Culture is so influenced by it’s dominant religious systems” that religion may sneak into a writer's work, no matter their personal beliefs on the religion (125). While knowledge of religion is helpful - especially to a reader - too many religious beliefs can lead problems. Foster articulates that intelligent readers possess a diverse knowledge in multiple religions,

Chapter six, … Or the Bible, of How to Read Literature Like A Professor (HTRLLAP) asserts that connect all of the dots is vital, and how a story about the loss of innocence always hit so hard because they are final. The two biggest points of this chapter, though, are how not all uses of religion are straight-forward, how some are there just to illustrate a disparity and that the names of the characters in a novel are almost always important to a writer's point and can help carry their message.

to disengage from meaningful human connection. The realease of this book created a wave of disagreement and contreversy but many saw this book as a symbol of cultural

Although it is argued that rabbis began work on compiling the oral histories prior to the fall of the Second Temple, there was a definite resurgence in documentation of the important history and moral laws of Judaism after the fall. The most important of these written documents in the Jewish faith is the Hebrew Bible. This bible is comprised of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, these three components combine to make up the Tanakh. The Torah is the core of the Hebrew Bible and contains the story of creation, as well as directions on daily conduct and religious rituals. The Nevi’im contains the stories of prophets. The prophets were people that spoke on behalf of God to the Jewish people. Lastly, the Ketuvim is comprised of mostly imaginative literature such as psalms, proverbs and poetry (Molloy, 294). Shifting the focus from priests and temple to a written work that is accessible to all regardless of location was the main adaptation of Judaism and certainly saved the faith. Although the historical accuracy of the Hebrew Bible is debatable, as some stories may have morphed from their origination to when they were assembled in writing, the bible still remains at the core of Judaism today.

In his book Reading Between the Lines: A Christian’s Guide to Literature, Gene E. Veith writes a chapter entitled “The Word and the Image: The Importance of Reading,” where he stresses the value of reading in a world where images and technology are an increasing threat to literature. Veith begins by explaining the importance of reading to Christians, as their whole religion centers around The Book (Bible). According to Veith, writing allows ideas and knowledge to be stored permanently, permitting them to grow and develop rapidly, making people more educated throughout the generations. New technology is decreasing the importance of reading and writing. New images and technology attract people to emotional religious experiences rather than the

A lot of people will say what harm can a book do but if you really think about the bible is something people devote their lives to the Bible and God and if books didn’t change anything then why do we have a class that is basically devoted to reading, also the only history that

Given the certain circumstances, literature is a very strong thing in this world. It has the power to shape beliefs of the reader, such as who to love or hate, why people did certain things in the story, or even the understanding of whether someone did the right thing or not. The author has the control of what to think, and it’s like they are the puppet master in the whole operation. Not only do they have the control of the reader’s belief, they get to choose who is given power, and gets to shape people’s beliefs in the story itself. It’s not also positive sometimes either. As shown, in literature, power can be given to individuals whose use it to negativity shape people’s beliefs.

Francis Schaeffer summarized his the entire book when he wrote, "To understand where we are in today's world–in our intellectual ideas and in our cultural and political lives–we must trace three lines in history, namely, the philosophic, the scientific, and the religious" (Schaeffer, 2005, p.20). Schaeffer is mainly stating that society is getting away from its Christians roots. He walks through instances in history where society has moved away from the principle teachings of the Bible. He believes that the problems in society are because individuals are ignoring the Christian principles that this world was built upon. He warns that this shift can have a catastrophic effect on how the world will look in the future.

The author's main purpose for writing A Myth of a Christian Nation is to explain how the world has claimed to be founded on christian principles but has neglected to see that this is a lie that we as christians and people in society have told ourselves to make it seem like we are “ one nation under God”. Boyd also focuses in on and introducing our role in the kingdom of God vs the kingdom of the world and our role in politics and society.

The Bhagavad Gita is illustrative of how sacred texts continue to shape society. The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most popular Hindu texts and is actually a sort of dialogue between prince Arjuna and Krishna, his charioteer. Arjuna in the end wants to withdraw from the battle but Krishna teaches him that he must do his duty in accordance with his class and he argues that death does not destroy the soul. You can see this concept played out in how people organize themselves even today in India, where everyone seems to have “a place, a reason, a duty.” (BBC Religion Profile, Hinduism)

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, and with good reason. For the stories written in it have changed the way many think and even believe when it comes to the power greater than this world. The Bible holds very specific opinions on things such as slavery, who humans should treat each other, and ultimately social justice. It has been one of the most important foundations for allowing social reform to occur in modern day history as well as the history of the whole world. However, it is forgotten in history class how prominent the ancient texts have changed the people. When looking at the history, it is discovered to be the strength of great people who have used its wisdom to bring about a change for those who could not do it on

The most important of these written documents is the Hebrew Bible. This bible is composed of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, and these three components combine to make up the Tanakh (Simmons, 83). The Torah is the core of the Hebrew Bible and contains the story of creation, as well as directions on daily conduct and religious rituals. The Nevi’im contains the stories of prophets. The prophets were people who spoke on behalf of God to the Jewish people. Lastly, the Ketuvim is composed of mostly imaginative literature such as psalms, proverbs and poetry (Molloy, 294). Shifting the focal point from