The character of God
Subtitle: recovering the lost literary power of American Protestantism
By: Thomas E. Jenkins.
Series: Religion in America series; Religion in America series (Oxford University Press)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 1997
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 272
Subjects: God -- Attributes -- History of doctrines -- 19th century.; Christianity and literature -- United States -- History -- 19th century.; Protestant churches -- United States -- Doctrines -- History -- 19th century.; God -- Attributes -- History of doctrines -- 20th century.; Christianity and literature -- United States -- History -- 20th century.; Protestant churches -- United States -- Doctrines -- History -- 20th century.
Description: "In The Character of God, author Thomas E. Jenkins maintains that Protestant theology became boring by the late nineteenth century because the depictions of God as a character in theology became boring. He shows how in the early nineteenth century, American Protestant theologians downplayed biblical depictions of God's emotional complexity and refashioned his character according to their own notions, stressing emotional singularity.

These notions came from many sources, but the major influences were the neoclassical and sentimental literary styles of characterization dominant at the time.".

"Jenkins argues that a way out of this impasse can be found in romanticism, the literary style of characterization that supplanted neoclassicism and sentimentalism and dominated American literary culture throughout the twentieth century. Romanticism emphasized emotional complexity and resonated with biblical depictions of God. But their strange and sometimes shocking depictions of God were largely forgotten in the twentieth century.".

"Jenkins urges a reassessment of their work and a greater understanding of the relationship between theology and literature."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-261) and index.