Homeland Mythology: Biblical Narratives in American CulturePenn State Press, 10 սեպ, 2015 թ. - 288 էջ Since 9/11, America has presented itself to the world as a Christianist culture, no less antimodern and nostalgic for an idealized past than its Islamist foes. The master-narrative both sides share might sound like this: Once upon a time, the values of the righteous community coincided with those of the state. Home and land were harmoniously united under God. But through intellectual pride (read: science) and disobedience (read: human rights), this God-blessed homeland was lost and is now worth every drop of blood it takes, ours and others’, to recover. For Americans, the prime source for this once-and-future-kingdom myth is the Bible, with its many narratives of blessings gained, lost, and regained: the garden of Eden, the covenant with Abraham, the bondage in Egypt, the exodus under Moses, the glory of David and Solomon’s realm, the coming of the promised Messiah, his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, his apocalyptic return at the end of history, and his establishment of the earthly kingdom of God. As Homeland Mythology shows, these biblical narratives have, over time, inspired a multitude of nationalist narratives, myths ingeniously spun out to justify a number of decidedly unchristian policies and institutions—from Indian genocide, the slave trade, and the exploitation of immigrant workers to Manifest Destiny, imperial expansionism, and, most recently, preemptive war. On March 25, 2001, George W. Bush shared a bit of political wisdom: “You can fool some of the people all of the time—and those are the ones you have to concentrate on.” The cynical use of religion to cloak criminal behavior is always worth exposing, but why our leaders lie to us is no longer a mystery. What does remain mysterious is why so many of us are disposed to believe their lies. The unexamined issue that this book addresses is, therefore, not the mendacity of the few, but the credulity of the many. |
From inside the book
Արդյունքներ 44–ի 6-ից 10-ը:
... divine being, each stood out in opposition to the prevailing mores of his community and, except for Moses, promised to individuals an otherworldly state of bliss in return for curbing their selfish desires in this world. The belief ...
... divine worship and public morality, and now God had seemed to turn his face away. A river metaphor allows for a downstream and an upstream view of time. The downstream, or past-oriented, perspective of biblical time we may identify with ...
... divine patrons. The essential issue raised in this biblical tale is, of course, the old sanction against graven images. The familiar argument against idol worship is that it is simply stupid—how can a god of stone or wood be of any help ...
... divine images prominently in public and at home. If they use writing, they will also preserve messages from this divine source. They may even call their special god “Lord” or “King,” imagine him ruling some faraway realm, and, for his ...
... divine kingship. In the more ancient civilizations of the East, the second millennium lived on in legend and in monumental ruins, which in the popular imagination testified to a rich and peaceful era ruled by kings who had conversed ...
Բովանդակություն
Myths of Curses Myths of Blessings | |
Narratives of the Night | |
Abduction Narratives | |
Homeland Nostalgia and Holy | |
Secular Modernism Biblical Style | |
Notes | |
Bibliography | |
Index | |
Այլ խմբագրություններ - View all
Homeland Mythology: Biblical Narratives in American Culture Christopher Collins Դիտել հնարավոր չէ - 2013 |