Christianity And Studying Literature

Olivia Seeney
ENGL485
Dr. Elam
4/8/17
Philosophy of Reading and Writing The role of those within the Christian community who read and study literature has been a controversial issue within the educational system and society for as long as it has existed. Whether or not Christians should read about secular issues, how we can most effectively examine literature in order to discover its purpose, and determining why studying literature would be beneficial to the Christian faith, are all aspects of this field of study that contribute to the confusion surrounding literature and Christianity. It is important to read, study, and compose literature because it is a significant source of information that provides all humans with a way to connect with one
another and allows us to find a deeper meaning within our everyday lives. Christians should read and study literature because it allows us to draw meaning from the things around us that we may not understand. It is easy for anyone, Christian or non-Christian, to adopt a mindset that prevents them from seeing past what is directly in front of them. People are too afraid to probe deeper than the surface because they are afraid of the truth that exists beneath it. However, by studying literature humans have been able to move past this superficiality that once existed during the time without written language. Literature exposes the truth of the world by recording varying individual experiences on a medium that can be reached globally. As Christians, we should yearn after this truth and embrace this field of study in order to discover more about the world that God has created. Literature has provided the faith with new opportunities to reach out to non-believers through the Bible and other pieces of Christian texts, allowing our religion to spread further than ever before. Within this world that God has created, literature exists within it, created by humans, to glorify the name of the Lord and to convince us that our lives have meaning, despite what reality appears to be. When we create literature we have the ability to share our experiences with those around us, so that they may gain something from our work. And though no one person has the same experience as the next, by recognizing and sharing our differentiating experiences we are able to understand more about both the world and the humans that inhabit it. Maintaining a Christian worldview while reading and writing affects my perception of literature and how it can be used to fulfil what we have been called to do as Christians, which is spread the word of the Lord. When I examine literature there is most often times in which a particular action or theme will stick out to me because I can establish a link between said theme and my own morality. Christian authors, such as C.S. Lewis, openly convey these connections between the Christian belief system and subject that they are addressing within their text. This makes it easy for believers to align the context of literature like this to moral beliefs of their own. Alternatively, it is much more difficult for a Christian reader, such as myself, to understand secular themes that are outside of my code of ethics. Knowing this, I do not ignore these problematic aspects of secularism when they appear, instead I try to encourage myself to learn more about these subjects in favor of gaining understanding in place of ignorance.
In the Bible, readers can recognize that sinful actions are being displayed within the text. However, we also have the wisdom to realize that this is not because the Bible advocates for such acts, but because sin is a part of human nature. Sin is addressed throughout the Bible for the purpose of exposing it for what it truly is. The incorporation of sin within Christian literature to solely to bring forth truth for the reader. For members of the Christian community it is easy to dismiss some of the more challenging topics that are presented in today’s society by taking up the defense that studying or reading about these issues goes against our beliefs. However, the solution is not to ignore these issues, rather it is to study these problems in order to be more prepared to deal with each topic in terms of a Christian worldview. For example, rather than dismissing the issue of same sex relationships, or hating people who participate in such interactions, it is better to do as Christ would have done and love those who sin. This does not mean that we should embrace a lifestyle such as this, instead Christians are supposed to show people the light of the Lord through compassion and understanding. In order to understand, it is important to study literature so that we are more informed about the sin that we are combating. It is also crucial that we guard ourselves against the sin itself, but not the value of the literature. We cannot judge a piece of literature solely on the sinfulness that it conveys to the reader. There are many other important aspects of literature that determine how meaningful a piece of literature can be to the world. Christian readers should examine literature with a guarded heart as well as an educated mind. Doing so allows individuals to criticize secular literature while maintaining both a Christian perspective and an un-biased literary mindset. As long as you maintain the ability to study the literature for the purpose of the betterment of the world, rather than receiving pleasure from reading such material, Christians are capable of approaching challenging topics within literature that go against the Christian worldview. To me, the Christian faith is one that encourages it’s believers to recognize that though sin is wrong and we should not partake in it, it is also wrong to turn a blind eye to the problem when we can try to prevent another from falling into it. That being said, we cannot show the glory of the Lord through hate, this only comes through understanding and witnessing. The skills and knowledge that I have gained from studying literature has and will continue to assist my individual growth in other aspects of life.
The understanding and wisdom I have from gained from studying challenging topics has encouraged me to be more available to receive knowledge of things that I am not familiar with. For example, before studying literature I would have been hasty to brush of an issue that didn’t interest me or didn’t apply to me. However, after discovering the importance of recognizing meaningfulness and understanding within literature, these skills were able to translate into interactions that occur outside of the book. As I progress into a career setting I will be able to transition more smoothly into uncomfortable, but necessary situations that I may have been previously been opposed to. Studying literature also has its advantages within a Christian setting, such as a Church or a Mission Trip. It tells us things about the World and other aspects of ourselves that we may not have known otherwise. Reading and writing are important skills that are applicable to many aspects of life. Learning these skills will help me to be a better teacher, a better Christian, and an all-around better human
being. Studying literature is a field of study that everyone should pursue in order to discover more about themselves and more about the world that God has created. The vast amount of wisdom and understanding that we can gain from literature is potentially limitless in today’s society. It helps Christians and non-Christians alike to find meaning when it seems that there is no purpose left. Without reading and writing the progression of humanity would have been veiled by lies, unable to be liberated by the truth and meaningfulness that we find by examining literature within the realm of faith. Works Cited
Lundin, Roger and Susan Gallagher. Literature Through the Eyes of Faith. Washington D.C.: Christian College Coalition, 1989.