Scott Esposito at Conversational Reading raises what must be a common dilemma: how can a student or critic of literature properly approach the Western canon without a thorough knowledge of the Bible (both Christian and Hebrew scriptures)? Indeed:
Take, for instance, that question many of us enjoy debating: Which books deserve to be in the Western literary canon? The word canon, of course, has a Biblical source, as in the books that have gained admittance to the Bible are canonical, while those that haven’t aren’t. (Although some Bibles list them in an Apocrypha section, which helps source another interesting word.) So we can’t even have a basic conversation about which books are the best of the best without referencing the Bible. And even before canon came to represent the books of the Bible, it referred to a collection of books approved for public reading. So when we’re talking about the literary canon we’re talking about a sort of meta-bible for Western society, a list of “approved” reading based on the work of its best writers.
I am very fortunate — I belonged to a church that took Bible study and interpretation very seriously, and have about 30 years’ worth of religious Bible study under my belt. In addition, I’ve continued with modern textual and historical studies of the Bible. I know my Bible, or I at least know where to find what I need to know. The Christ imagery in Cool Hand Luke or E.T. does not elude me. I know how the Book of Daniel relates to the Revelation of John.
What to do if you don’t have such a background, or, like Scott, you can’t stomach sitting down with great swathes of Holy Writ? I suggest hitting the high points:
The Gospels: An understanding of the general biography of Jesus of Nazareth is key. Each Gospel has a different slant on the life of Jesus. The Gospel of John is distinct from the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and is the most beautifully written of the four, as well as the most mystical.
Revelation: So much important imagery in this book — the four horsemen, the new Jerusalem, the seven seals, the Whore of Babylon, the great dragon, plus a whole worldview pertaining to how the struggle of good and evil on earth is reflected in a heavenly struggle.
Genesis: Particularly the stories of the creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sodom and Gomorrah, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph and his brothers.
Exodus: The whole thing. This is the story of how Moses led the children of Israel up out of Egypt and made a covenant with Jehovah.
Now you’re probably craving more. I suggest Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the stories of King Saul and King David, selected Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Song of Solomon, the book of Daniel. In the Christian scriptures: the Acts of the Apostles, Romans, I and II Corinthians, Colossians, Galatians, Hebrews.
Yes, that’s a lot. But as Scott concludes:
The scary thing about this stuff is that once you start learning it, you start seeing it everywhere: from movies to commercials to billboards to rap music to casual conversation. You see it so much that you begin to think that in a lot of cases it’s being used without the slightest realization of where it ultimately came from. That’s perhaps one measure for the ultimate success of any text.
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Filed under: reading, reference Tagged: | Bible, biblical imagery, Conversational Reading, Scott Esposito, Western canon
