Spirit in the Dark

A Religious History of Racial Aesthetics

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Black, American, Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, 20th Century
Cover of the book Spirit in the Dark by Josef Sorett, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Josef Sorett ISBN: 9780190606824
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: August 1, 2016
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Josef Sorett
ISBN: 9780190606824
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: August 1, 2016
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Most of the major black literary and cultural movements of the twentieth century have been understood and interpreted as secular, secularizing and, at times, profane. In this book, Josef Sorett demonstrates that religion was actually a formidable force within these movements, animating and organizing African American literary visions throughout the years between the New Negro Renaissance of the 1920s and the Black Arts movement of the 1960s. Sorett unveils the contours of a literary history that remained preoccupied with religion even as it was typically understood by authors, readers, and critics alike to be modern and, therefore, secular. Spirit in the Dark offers an account of the ways in which religion, especially Afro-Protestantism, remained pivotal to the ideas and aspirations of African American literature across much of the twentieth century. From the dawn of the New Negro Renaissance until the ascendance of the Black Arts movement, black writers developed a spiritual grammar for discussing race and art by drawing on terms such as "church" and "spirit" that were part of the landscape and lexicon of American religious history. Sorett demonstrates that religion and spirituality have been key categories for identifying and interpreting what was (or was not) perceived to constitute or contribute to black literature and culture. By examining figures and movements that have typically been cast as "secular," he offers theoretical insights that trouble the boundaries of what counts as "sacred" in scholarship on African American religion and culture. Ultimately, Spirit in the Dark reveals religion to be an essential ingredient, albeit one that was always questioned and contested, in the forging of an African American literary tradition.

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

Most of the major black literary and cultural movements of the twentieth century have been understood and interpreted as secular, secularizing and, at times, profane. In this book, Josef Sorett demonstrates that religion was actually a formidable force within these movements, animating and organizing African American literary visions throughout the years between the New Negro Renaissance of the 1920s and the Black Arts movement of the 1960s. Sorett unveils the contours of a literary history that remained preoccupied with religion even as it was typically understood by authors, readers, and critics alike to be modern and, therefore, secular. Spirit in the Dark offers an account of the ways in which religion, especially Afro-Protestantism, remained pivotal to the ideas and aspirations of African American literature across much of the twentieth century. From the dawn of the New Negro Renaissance until the ascendance of the Black Arts movement, black writers developed a spiritual grammar for discussing race and art by drawing on terms such as "church" and "spirit" that were part of the landscape and lexicon of American religious history. Sorett demonstrates that religion and spirituality have been key categories for identifying and interpreting what was (or was not) perceived to constitute or contribute to black literature and culture. By examining figures and movements that have typically been cast as "secular," he offers theoretical insights that trouble the boundaries of what counts as "sacred" in scholarship on African American religion and culture. Ultimately, Spirit in the Dark reveals religion to be an essential ingredient, albeit one that was always questioned and contested, in the forging of an African American literary tradition.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Flawed Architect by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Talent Without Borders by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book True Patriot Love by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Context Counts by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Early Responses to the Periodic System by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book The Addis Ababa Massacre by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Liberalizing Lynching by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Unfinished Business by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book The Memoir of Toussaint Louverture by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book False Hope by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book 10 Steps to Mastering Stress by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Interventional Radiology Cases by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Hegel: Philosophy of Politics: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book Mexico by Josef Sorett
Cover of the book The Price of Assimilation by Josef Sorett
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