“It is untrue that fiction is nonutilitarian. The uses of fiction are synonymous with the uses of literature. They include refreshment, clarification of life, self-awareness, expansion of our range of experiences, and enlargement of our sense of understanding and discovery, perception, intensification, expression, beauty , and understanding. Like literature generally, fiction is a form of discovery, perception, intensification, expression, beauty, and understanding. If it is all these things, the question of whether it is a legitimate use of time should not even arise.”
Quote by Leland Ryken
Work
Realms of Gold: The Classics in Christian Perspective
This book explores how the great works of classical antiquity—Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and history—can be read and appreciated from a Christian viewpoint. It addresses questions of how believers might engage with pagan authors and texts that have shaped Western civilization, considering themes of virtue, human nature, divine order, and moral truth as they appear in classical sources. The work belongs to a tradition of Christian humanist scholarship that seeks to integrate faith with intellectual engagement across historical and cultural boundaries. more
Author
Leland Ryken
Leland Ryken is an accomplished author, born in 1942. His works span a wide range of subjects including literary criticism, biblical studies, and Christian theology. more
You May Also Like
Source: Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were
“Stressing the God-centered life can lead to an otherworldly withdrawal from everyday earthly life.”
Source: How to Read the Bible as Literature
Source: Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were
“In Puritan thinking, the Christian life was a heroic venture, requiring a full quota of energy.”
“Since God is the one who calls people to their work, the worker becomes a steward who serves God.”
Source: Redeeming the Time: A Christian Approach to Work and Leisure
Source: How to Read the Bible as Literature