christianty in literature
Christianity as a Common Element in Literature The Christian faith is a strong reoccurring element in much of early and contemporary literature. Though other early religions, such as paganism, do come into play, Christianity is most prevalent because the early monks were the scribes of civilization, often shaping oral legends to fit Christian beliefs. This Christian storytelling is obvious in Beowulf and in "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". In contemporary literature, the Christian aspect is obvious in A Prayer for Owen Meany. These three works all include bits and pieces of Christianity, while drawing slightly upon other aspects, most often paganism's idea of fate. In Beowulf, Beowulf represents good, while Grendel, his mother, and the dragon represent evil. This connotation of the characters draws strongly on the idea that Grendel is a descendent of Cain, the condemned son of Eve in biblical lore. A connection, however vague, can be made between the maternal relations of Eve and Cain and Grendel and his mother. Grendel's mother can be considered to personify man's fall from grace and Grendel himself might embody sin. Furthermore, the dragon Beowulf battles can be said to be a picture of Satan and the dragon's tower, Hell: "
Finally, both cases are seen as robbery or poaching in God's garden. This use of Christianity does not encompass all, however. In his quest a year later to find the Green Chapel, Gawain stays in the castle of a lord and his lady. This is similar to the Christian belief of the resurrection of Jesus. Owen Meany demonstrated many characteristics of a prophet, and could be linked to a prophetic figure such as Jesus. " (Gen 3:4) Fourthly, the sin is temporarily hidden. The fear of God far exceeded that of any mortal man. In fact Pastor Merill, the reverend at Owen's church, has no faith; he had lost it when John's mother died. In his battle with the dragon (which may represent Satan) Beowulf is martyred, losing his life in the killing of the dragon. Not only does his faith surpass that of the community; it also surpasses even that of Pastor Merill. Not only is it Owen who helped John through school, gives him the gift of reading, saves his life, and keeps him out of Vietnam, he also teaches John the most important lesson in faith; that seeing does not mean believing. This shows what an important role religion played in the lives of men at this point in time.
Common topics in this essay:
Owen Meany,
Green Knight,
Owen Owen's,
Beowulf Crying,
Beowulf Christ,
Beowulf Christian,
Overall Christian,
Gawain Christian,
Christmas Carol,
Cain Grendel,
owen meany,
christian faith,
green knight,
grendel's mother,
john's mother,
green chapel,
visions future events,
life owen,
owen's prophecy,
prophecy comes,
gawain green knight,
throughout life,
prayer owen meany,
sword spirit word,
spirit word god,
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Acceptance Essays
