Romancing God

Evangelical Women and Inspirational Fiction

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Christianity, Christian Literature, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Gender Studies, Women&, Christian Life
Cover of the book Romancing God by Lynn S. Neal, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Lynn S. Neal ISBN: 9780807877197
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: December 8, 2006
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Lynn S. Neal
ISBN: 9780807877197
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: December 8, 2006
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

In the world of the evangelical romance novel, sex and desire are mitigated by an omnipresent third party--the divine. Thus romance is not just an encounter between lovers, but a triangle of affection: man, woman, and God. Although this literature is often disparaged by scholars and pastors alike, inspirational fiction plays a unique and important role in the religious lives of many evangelical women. In an engaging study of why women read evangelical romance novels, Lynn S. Neal interviews writers and readers of the genre and finds a complex religious piety among ordinary people.

In evangelical love stories, the success of the hero and heroine's romance rests upon their religious choices. These fictional religious choices, readers report, often inspire real spiritual change in their own lives. Amidst the demands of daily life or during a challenge to one's faith, these books offer a respite from problems and a time for fun, but they also provide a means to cultivate piety and to appreciate the unconditional power of God's love. The reading of inspirational fiction emerges from and reinforces an evangelical lifestyle, Neal argues, but women's interpretations of the stories demonstrate the constant negotiations that characterize evangelical living. Neal's study of religion in practice highlights evangelicalism's aesthetic sensibility and helps to alter conventional understandings--both secular and religious--of this prominent subculture.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the world of the evangelical romance novel, sex and desire are mitigated by an omnipresent third party--the divine. Thus romance is not just an encounter between lovers, but a triangle of affection: man, woman, and God. Although this literature is often disparaged by scholars and pastors alike, inspirational fiction plays a unique and important role in the religious lives of many evangelical women. In an engaging study of why women read evangelical romance novels, Lynn S. Neal interviews writers and readers of the genre and finds a complex religious piety among ordinary people.

In evangelical love stories, the success of the hero and heroine's romance rests upon their religious choices. These fictional religious choices, readers report, often inspire real spiritual change in their own lives. Amidst the demands of daily life or during a challenge to one's faith, these books offer a respite from problems and a time for fun, but they also provide a means to cultivate piety and to appreciate the unconditional power of God's love. The reading of inspirational fiction emerges from and reinforces an evangelical lifestyle, Neal argues, but women's interpretations of the stories demonstrate the constant negotiations that characterize evangelical living. Neal's study of religion in practice highlights evangelicalism's aesthetic sensibility and helps to alter conventional understandings--both secular and religious--of this prominent subculture.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book North Carolina beyond the Connected Age by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book From Belloc to Churchill by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book Forging Freedom by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book The Negro and Fusion Politics in North Carolina, 1894-1901 by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book North Carolina's Barrier Islands by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book Turing's Man by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book The Politics of American Religious Identity by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book The Spotsylvania Campaign by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book The Rise of Multicultural America by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book Trinity of Passion by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book A Shattered Nation by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book Reality Radio, Second Edition by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book English Common Law in the Age of Mansfield by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book Appalachia in the Making by Lynn S. Neal
Cover of the book Latinos at the Golden Gate by Lynn S. Neal
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy