Gao Xingjian's "One Man's Bible": Engaging with Literature as a Spiritual Activity

Chinese novelist Gao Xingjian's contention that literature is of spiritual value implies that the bonds established between authors and their readers must be spiritual. This article considers these ideas especially in relation to Gao's novel One Man's Bible. After tracing the way in w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Pagan, Nicholas O. 1953- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Peeters [2017]
In: Studies in spirituality
Year: 2017, Volume: 27, Pages: 43-55
IxTheo Classification:AG Religious life; material religion
CD Christianity and Culture
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:Chinese novelist Gao Xingjian's contention that literature is of spiritual value implies that the bonds established between authors and their readers must be spiritual. This article considers these ideas especially in relation to Gao's novel One Man's Bible. After tracing the way in which One Man's Bible invokes disparate voices sometimes associated with an "inner mind", the article explores the question of whether it is possible to have spirituality without religion. Although recognizing that the necessity of interdependence may be captured by the Confucian notion of ren the article argues instead that the special bond between author and reader may be much better understood from a Christian point of view when readers are exposed to literary fictions which combine celebration of a living God with belief in the value of love and selflessness.
ISSN:0926-6453
Contains:Enthalten in: Studies in spirituality
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2143/SIS.27.0.3254095