Writing beyond prophecy
Book Description
In the twilight of their careers, three towering figures of American literature underwent a profound spiritual reckoning that would reshape their understanding of faith, calling, and creative purpose. Writing beyond Prophecy reveals how Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville each confronted the audacious claims of their younger selves.
Early in their literary journeys, these writers boldly positioned themselves as spiritual revolutionaries, offering fresh revelations and alternative gospels to replace traditional religious authority. They saw their pens as instruments of divine purpose, their words as sacred texts for a new age. Yet as time passed, each author came to question the very foundations of this literary ministry.
Martin Kevorkian traces this remarkable transformation through lesser-known later works, including Emerson's Conduct of Life, Hawthorne's unfinished Elixir of Life manuscript, and Melville's epic poem Clarel. In these writings, each author grappled with characters facing crises of faith and vocation, mirroring their own spiritual struggles.
This exploration offers readers insight into the complex relationship between creative calling and spiritual authority. For those seeking to understand how artistic vision intersects with religious devotion, this study illuminates the profound questions that arise when we dare to speak for the divine, and the humility that follows such recognition.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~7 hours)
📄 Length: 259 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Religion
- ✓ Explore History
- ✓ Explore Emerson, ralph waldo, 1803-1882
- ✓ Explore Literature and society
- ✓ Explore Intellectual life
- ✓ Explore United states, intellectual life
- ✓ Explore Religion and literature
- ✓ Explore Hawthorne, nathaniel, 1804-1864
