[Serious] The Humanities

[possibletarian]

Christian people in the Middle Ages wrote novels (aka "romances") that weren't specifically about religion. Nonetheless, these stories reflected their world view, which was thoroughly Christian. If we compare the values expressed in these stories with stories from other times and places, we can see how their values differ from non-Christian values.

I thought I said earlier: I'm speaking of novels written in the Romance languages in the Middle Ages. ("A romance" originally meant a book written in the vernacular language, because scholarly books were written in Latin.) The values are not "thrown in." They are the values of the writers.

Well yes of course people write from their own values, be they religious or secular, but that is not to say romance stories would not have existed without Christianity, just that they would be different.

It might be interesting to do a study on whether Buddhist ideas of the afterlife allow situations in this life which have no moral solution. I don't think there are any stories from Buddhist countries which specifically focus on insoluble problems, as Greek tragedy does. It's possible though. But the goal of Buddhists is personal annihilation through Nirvana, not a subsumation into the Good, as it is for Christians.[quote]

I suppose you could do studies on stories from many religions, but many of them, end up with judgement and redemption (in some form or other)


[quote]David is a good example here. He is depicted as a great man with obvious flaws. Throughout his story people (e.g. the prophet Nathan) scold him for these flaws. 

The point is that the values expressed in the David story are wildly different from those expressed in Greek epic. There is no love and redemption in Achilles' story, and Homer would never have imagined there should be.

 

It's true that Christianity, like many religions adds an element of redemption, usually based in belief in some god or other, but so far as i can tell this just adds unrealism to the story, real life just does not usually end like that, yet romance still exists as do the moral stories that surround it.

As far as I can tell, people tend to understand things through concrete example and demonstration. An Aesop's Fable with the moral at the end is more effective than just the moral on its own -- it's the story that brings home to us its meaning.

Things or morals ? sure people understand through example most people have an element of understanding of universally accepted morals through example, but they are enforced via precedented and lawmaking. We all have 'personal' moral standards which can be reflected in our works such as literature or even a Marvel film.