An Eco-Theological Interpretation Of Go Tell It On The Mountain

James Baldwin（1924-1987）is an African-American writer,essayist,dramatist and social critic.He is a productive writer and his works cover a wide range.He plays an important role in the development of African-American literature after World War II.It takes Baldwin ten years to complete his novel Go Tell It on the Mountain,which is his best work.Go Tell It on the Mountain,along with Richard Wright’s Native Son and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man,is regarded as the model of African-American literature in the 1940s and 1950s.His works focus on the personal problems and dilemmas under complicated social and psychological pressures.He is influenced deeply by religion from childhood.Go Tell It on the Mountain is his semi-autobiographical novel with strong religious flavor.This novel was ranked in 1998 on the list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20^th century.Baldwin expresses his feelings towards African Americans through the psychological description of the characters in Go Tell It on the Mountain.As an African-American writer,Baldwin does not try to find out the social root of racial discrimination,but reflects racial relation through sexual relation.He weakens racial relation and tries to solve racial conflicts in a new way.In Go Tell It on the Mountain,Baldwin pays much attention to the relationship among God,human and nature,which coincides with ecological theology.This thesis attempts to analyze Baldwin’s pursuit of harmony from the perspective of ecological theology.This thesis consists of three chapters besides its introduction and conclusion.The introduction provides a brief introduction to James Baldwin and his Go Tell It on the Mountain,the literature review,the theoretical basis and the significance of the research.Chapter One analyzes the religious crises of different characters in the novel.Based on Jürgen Moltmann’s ecological theology,this chapter analyzes Baldwin’s pursuit of harmony between human and God.Chapter Two analyzes the disharmony among human beings from the perspectives of race,gender and sex in the novel.According to Moltmann,observing the Trinitarian doctrine of God is the way to solve the disharmony among human beings.Based on Moltmann’s thought,this chapter analyzes Baldwin’s search for harmonious relationship among them.Chapter Three presents the characters’separation from nature and the process of their returning to nature and finding spiritual existence in nature.John’s running to the mountain echoes the title of the novel,which shows Baldwin’s desire to live in harmony with nature.The conclusion is a summary of this thesis.In Go Tell It on the Mountain,Baldwin expresses the vision of harmony among God,human and nature through presenting the disharmony between human and God,human and human,human and nature.In Baldwin’s eyes,the lack of belief among people is also the emptiness of their own spirit.To regain the belief in God and live in harmony with God and nature is also a way for people themselves to achieve harmony.