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 31–ի 6-ից 10-ը:
... forces, however, these dissonances are likely to be ignored. The proclaimed interests of the governmental and the communal appear to converge in the overriding concept variously called the “motherland,” the “fatherland,” and the ...
... forces intent on enslaving mankind. This ethnic mythology, which heroizes the defenders of this exceptional nation, has over the years demonized, in different ways and for different reasons, a series of Others that has included Native ...
... force and events as literally following one behind the other from the future into the past. The observer can choose to turn his gaze toward the future or toward the past, but, as long as he lives, he remains fixed in the present while ...
... forces that, over time, inevitably undermine it. If the Jews developed a belief in temporal dynamism, it was perhaps due to the fact that for some 2,600 years since the Babylonian captivity (sixth century BC ), the Israelite nation has ...
... every government is an occupying force, like the Romans. American Christians also learn the stories of the brave settlers who fought to free themselves from the imperial yoke of Britain. They have learned, in short, to regard.
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 |