On 10/9/09 9:38 AM, Gene wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2009 08:39:29 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Oct 8, 9:15 am, wrote:
On Thu, 8 Oct 2009 05:24:40 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:





Well maybe not. But seeing the creation, religion,evolution thread is
getting so long, I thought I'd ask a hypothetical question. Well maybe
it's not as hypothetical , but here goes.

If an English lit teacher was passing out assignments assignments for
students to give a book report. Various books are chosen, some long ,
some short.

OK, the list has several *options* None are specifically required.
Here's a sample list:

"To Kill a Mockingbird"
"All Quiet one the Western Front"
"Gulliver's Travels"
"Moby Dick"
"The book of Matthew"
"Oliver Twist"
"The Trial"

etc, etc.

That is a rather complex question.

Would we be describing the reading assignment as a selection of one
out of seven fictional books? Or, can you choose the non fiction book
versus one of the six novels.....

On the face of it, given that there are choices, it would seem to be
acceptable. However, I would cry fowl on the basis that the class is
*English Literature* which, by definition, are those texts written in
English. If we are going to offer everything translated into English
as fair game, we might as well just change the course title and
syllabus to World Literature.

Given the course title, if the teacher is compelled to offer some sort
of link to a religious text, I think the Book of Common Prayer would
be more appropriate.



Notice included is the Gospel account of Matthew. Would this be
considered as promoting religion?

Probably, due to the limitations of choice.

Christianity is a religion developed from Judaism, all of which
developed in the Middle East, a region that spans southwestern Asia,
southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa.... and as far as I can
tell really has little to do with "English Literature" either
geographically, culturally, linguistically, philosophically, etc.
Thus, why offering a Christian text as an acceptable "English Text"
without also including the (surely translated) Jewish, Buddhist,
Mormon, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Confucianism, Shinto, etc.,
etc. texts.... without even an honorable mention to Classical Paganism
which WAS the original English Religious Literature.... is a bit
cloudy.

AND! Even if it was required reading. could it be used for literary
purposes only?

I doubt that it could be, in this context.

Authorship/Style? Nobody knows who wrote the Book of Matthew and one
can't really discuss Matthew without inclusion of the other three
gospels, most notably Mark (and the non-extant Quelle source), from
which the Book of Matthew was plagiarized.

So, what are you going to ask the students to *do* with that text in
an English Literature course?
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First off, it wasn't a "bible study", Gene. and it wasn't to be such.
It was like any other book report. to give an over all critique of
what the author was trying to convey. And honestly, I really don't
rememebr what I wrte about. that was in 1972 and I dont' have the
paper.

No one *had* to chose the Matthew account.

I didn't suggest in ANY way that it WAS Bible study and I noted that
there WAS a choice.

Now, address the point..... what has The Bible got to do with ENGLISH
Literature....

The study of Literature should or could encompass the following
points:

1. The body of written works of a language, period, or culture.
2. Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized
artistic value.
3. The art or occupation of a literary writer.
4. The body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in
a given field: medical literature.
5. Printed material: collected all the available literature on the
subject.
6. Music. All the compositions of a certain kind or for a specific
instrument or ensemble: the symphonic literature.

I attempted to address some of these items to show why the Bible was
not an English text.

How would you address the matter, today.... in the context of English
Literature. The fact of the matter is YOU CAN'T, because the Bible is
NOT English Literature. It had no more right or reason to be included
in that book list than Les Miserables, Der Steppenwolf, or Amori di
Venere or any of the translations of same.

If you discount the religious aspect, the fact remains: the book JUST
DOESN'T BELONG in that group of required reading.


Robert Lowell, who held a precursor Poet Laureate post at the LC in the
1940s, taught a class called "The King James Bible as English Literature."

I took a similarly titled course while pursuing my master's in English.

The KJ bible is a magnificent work in the English language, and many
serious students of English lit consider it English lit.



--
Birther-Deather-Tenther-Teabagger:
Idiots All