Contemporary Literary Theory: A Christian Appraisal

by Clarence Walhout (Editor), Leland Ryken (Editor)

Overview

The Landscape of literary theory during the last four decades has been a chaotic and rapidly changing scene, with many rival voices clamoring for attention. Recognizing that there is a disturbing dearth of Christian literary theory, Clarence Walhout and Leland Ryken have compiled this volume of essays in order to explain several predominantly secular theories and assess them from a Christian perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802804792
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	12/09/1991
Pages:	316
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.71(d)

About the Author

Clarence Walhout, an English professor at Calvin College for over twenty years, is a coauthor of The Responsibility of Hermeneutics.

Leland Ryken is chair of the English Department at Wheaton College; his books include The Liberated Imagination: Thinking Christianly about the Arts and Windows to the World: Literature in Christian Perspective.

Editorial Reviews

Calling Christian scholars to overdue participation in ‘the debates over contemporary literary theory,’ this collection provides a useful overview of critical debates and movements in our time. Whether the dozen essays in fact prepare
the ground for a ‘Christian criticism’ will no doubt be disputed; that they nudge us insistently and insightfully in the right direction, however, cannot be denied. Insofar as they repudiate a facile separation between belief and practice, these
thoughtful critiques issue a challenge that should not go unheeded within the academy at large.”

ROBERT SNYDER 
Editor of Christianity and Literature

From the Publisher

This is a helpful introduction to major literary theories--from Marxism to deconstruction--written by respected Christian critics. Each essay follows a similar pattern of development: the first section describes the salient features of the particular theory (e.g., Marxism); the second section assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the theory; and the final section attempts to describe the usefulness of the critical approach for Christian criticism. Weaker essays (Ryken's afterword) tend toward dogmatism while stronger ones (Walhout's ``Marxism'') strive for judicious balance. Despite its uneven quality, this book will serve well both undergraduates and serious Christian readers who wish to know where their voices blend in the din and clatter of contemporary literary theory.-- Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Westerville P.L., Ohio

Library Journal