The dialogue between Theology and Literature

As I was finishing my theology class activity, my brain told me to translate my last activity from Portuguese to English and share it here.

MANZATTO, A. Teologia e literatura: bases para um diálogo. Interações: cultura e comunidade, v. 11, n. 19, p. 8-18, 2016. Disponível em: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=313046416003. 

The dialogue between Theology and Literature

a) What does the author means to say when he refers to the dialogue between theology and literature?

Regarding the dialogue between theology and literature, Manzatto states that the literary studies tools assist in the reading and understanding of biblical texts and, therefore, in the comprehension of God’s Revelation. He emphasizes that although the Scripture is a sacred text, it is also a literary work, with literary forms and procedures/arrangements, but that this does not make it less of a reference for the affirmation of faith and its theological comprehension (Manzatto, 2016, p. 14). Thus, the author sustains that literature complements and deepens the theological comprehension by offering a new perspective in the Bible analysis.

Comprehending the signification of those texts can be deeper e carefully elaborated, precisely to better enlighten the believer’s faith and life (Manzatto, 2016, p. 14).

b) What is the theological interest in dialogue with literature?

With regard to the theological interest in dialogue with literature, Manzatto argues that literature is the expression of the human condition, in its complexities, experiences and in its discourse about its meaning, that it is through literature that one can reach a better comprehension of the human being and, consequently, a better comprehension of God, Who is also manifested in literature. He reiterates that it is not a question of making the literature dogmatic or doctrinaire, but of demonstrating that, if God reveals himself in the human history and is the place where human beings meet God, simply because human beings exist in history (Manzatto, 2016, p. 15), He also reveals Himself in the stories that are told about the human (Manzatto, 2016, p. 16). Therefore, if God’s Revelation is passed through literary narratives (Manzatto, 2016, p. 16), nothing could be more appropriate than turning to literature for a better understanding of God.

The historical human where God reveals Himself is also present in literature, even in fictional texts (Manzatto, 2016, p. 17).

Epígrafe 

The Literature and the Bible 

According to Manzatto (2016, p. 14) 

In other words, the literary procedures have greatly helped in the reading and understanding of the Scripture and, undeniable fact, this stems from the rapprochement between theology and literature. In a sense, the work of reading the Scripture with literary methods is the product of this dialogue between them.

Revelation and Literature

For Manzatto (2016, p. 16) literature

does not refer to anything other than the human being, as we’ve already said it. If God reveals Himself in humanity, reveals Himself in the historical human, in the historiographical or literary sense. He reveals Himself in the stories that are told about the human, affirming not necessarily the truth of the fact itself, but of the meaning of the human that is there.