| In a critical study of Matthew Arnold's religious ideas the author analyzes Arnold's proposal for conservative theological revision. "Culture, a Mission" is a survey of Arnold's literary criticism that articulates his cultural ideal: "... to learn and propagate the best that is known and thought in the world," and a summary review of Culture and Anarchy (1869). The author suggests that culture is a religion for Arnold, and concludes that although religion and culture are interdependent in his thought, they are not coextensive."Religion, the Imitation of Christ," is an analysis of Saint Paul and Protestantism (1870) wherein Arnold formulates a theology supported by an interpretation of Romans. The author concludes that Arnold's reading of Romans is biased, and that his proposal for religious unity in England oversimplifies the issues."A Case for the Bible" is a review of Literature and Dogma (1873). Arnold argues that the Bible, when interpreted as religious literature rather than as dogma, provides an intellectually respectable foundation for human life. The reviewer concludes that Arnold's interpretation, while genuinely religious, fails to appreciate the religion the Bible expresses. In a chapter on God and the Bible (1875) the author concludes that Arnold's biblical criticism, while religiously sensitive, loses sight of the shape of the Judeo-Christian story.In a final chapter, a review and critique of Arnold's religious synthesis, the author concludes that Arnold's attempt to demonstrate the natural truth of Christianity undermined his commitment to reestablish what he considered the essential alliance between emotion and conduct that biblical religion exemplifies. |
