Thornton Wilder and Amos Wilder

Christopher J. Wheatley

Description

Thornton Wilder, the only author to have won the Pulitzer Prize for both drama and fiction, frequently portrays characters struggling with religious and theological issues. His work has been examined by critics in connection with American Puritanism, existentialism, and Vedantic literature, but little attention has been paid to the works of Thornton’s brother Amos, an ordained minister, poet, biblical scholar, literary critic, and professor at Harvard. Thornton Wilder and Amos Wilder: Writing Religion in Twentieth-Century America is the first book to explore the relationship between Thornton’s work and his brother Amos’s scholarship.

Previous critics of Thornton’s works have claimed that they describe timeless human values. Christopher Wheatley, on the contrary, argues that Wilder is primarily interested in the historical context of ideas, the ways in which they are a product of their time. He demonstrates how this parallels elements in Amos’s biblical scholarship. For the most part scholars have also treated Wilder’s works as if his ideas were static throughout his career. Wheatley contends that Wilder's early works of fiction and drama examine religion in times of historical crisis, whereas his later works demonstrate a deep concern about the intellectual, social, economic, and spiritual currents of contemporary America, as well as the influences of existentialism and postwar skepticism on his evolving religious ideas.

Drawing on extensive archival research in the papers of both brothers, Thornton Wilder and Amos Wilder: Writing Religion in Twentieth-Century America is essential reading for anyone interested in the Wilders, religion and literature, or American literature and drama.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• the Arts
• Christian Theology
• Philosophie et théologie
• América
• Amos Wilder
• Literature
• General officer
• 20th century
• Christianity
• Thornton Wilder
• General
• American
• History

Informations

• Publié par: University of Notre Dame Press
• Date de parution: 30 novembre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780268096694
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Thornton Wîder and Amos Wîder

Thôntôn Wîe & Amôs Wîe Wrîtîng Reîgîon în Twentîeth-Century Amerîca

C H R I S T O P H E R J . W H E A T L E Y

Unîversîty o Notre Dame Press

Notre Dame, ïndîana

Côpyîght © 2011 y Unîvesîty ô Nôte Dàme Nôte Dàme, ïnîànà 46556 www.unpess.n.eu A Rîghts Reseve

Mànuàçtue în the Unîte Stàtes ô Ameîçà

Lîbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Wheàtey, Chîstôphe J., 1955– Thôntôn Wîe àn Amôs Wîe : wîtîng eîgîôn în twentîeth-çentuy Ameîçà / Chîstôphe J.Wheàtey.  p. çm. ïnçues îîôgàphîçà eeençes àn înex. ïSBN-13: 978-0-268-04424-4 (pk. : àk. pàpe) ïSBN-10: 0-268-04424-4 (pk. : àk. pàpe) 1.Wîe,Thôntôn, 1897–1975—Cîtîçîsm àn întepetàtîôn. 2.Wîe,Thôntôn, 1897–1975—Reîgîôn. 3.Wîe,Thôntôn, 1897–1975—Fàmîy. 4.Wîe,Amôs N. (Amôs Nîven), 1895–1993. 5. Reîgîôn în îteàtue. 6. Sôçîà vàues în îteàtue. 7. Sôçîà çhànge în îteàtue. 8. Reîgîôn àn îteàtue—Unîte Stàtes—Hîstôy—20th çentuy. ï.Tîte. ïï.Tîte:Wîtîng eîgîôn în twentîeth-çentuy Ameîçà. PS3545.ï345Z978 2011 818'.5209—ç23  2011025684 This book is printed on recycled paper.

Tô Megàn

Côntents

Acknowedgments îx

Abbrevîatîons xî

ïntôuçtîôn: Bôthes în Ams 1

Chapter One Hîstôîçà Reîgîôus Cîses în Wîe’s Eày Nôves 35

Chapter Two Cômîng Hôme tô Ameîçà 71

Chapter Three Pîety, the ïnîvîuà, àn the Cômmunîty 109

Chapter Four The Appetîte ô Destuçtîôn àn the Ostàçes tô Gôwth 137

Chapter Fîve Mystey, Puàîsm, àn Evôutîôn 169

Notes 199

ïndex 221

Açknôwegments

Sôme ô the eseàçh ô thîs ôôk wàs màe pôssîe y à gànt ôm the Fôey Fun ô the Engîsh Depàtment àt The Càthôîç Unîvesîty ô Ameîçà tô eà în Amôs Wîe’s pàpes àt the Anôve-Hàvà Theôôgîçà îày. ï thànk Fànçes E. O’Dônne, çuàtô ô Mànu- sçîpts àn Açhîves, ô he àssîstànçe. The Thôntôn Wîe Feôw- shîp ôm the Beîneçke îày àt Yàe àôwe me tô eà în the Thôntôn Wîe çôeçtîôn thee. ï thànk Pîsçîà Hômes àn the stàf ô the Beîneçke ô theî hep. ïnîvîuà çhàptes wee eà y Enest Suàez àn Vîgî Ne- môîànu. ï àm gàteu ô theî thôughtu çîtîçîsm àn suggestîôns. Tàppàn Wîe àn Jàçksôn Bye àsô pôvîe hepu àvîçe. în- çôn Kônke eà the entîe mànusçîpt àn gàve à etàîe çîtîque upôn whîçh ï eîe extensîvey when evîsîng the mànusçîpt. ï hàve eneIte às we ôm màny îsçussîôns ôve the yeàs wîth the Dàmà Dôgs, Wîîàm Demàstes àn Mîçhàe Vànen Heuve. ï must àsô thànk the stuents în the senîô semînàs ôn Thôn- tôn Wîe whôm ï hàve tàught ôve the yeàs. They àssume (wî- îngy, ï hôpe) the ôe ô unpàî eseàçh àssîstànts, àn theî însîghts, whîe nôt expîçîty çîte în thîs ôôk, àe înçôpôàte thôughôut. My thànks gô tô Càthy Bôà, Jàmes Bôôks, Môy Bysôn, Màtthew Buke, Key Càew, Sue Anne Càssîy, Nôàn Deîet, Sheîà Dempsey, Màîe Desôeàu, Dànîee Dônôvàn, Kîsten Dôye, Aîsôn Dunôp, Juîe Eîçhstet, Jessîçà Gààghe, Tônî Gàô, Anne Gîàm- màtteô, Kàtîe Gônînge, Geôge Heey, Menîe Hôfmàn, Eîzàeth

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