The Theological Journal of Emanuel University

Perichoresis

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>A widespread view among contemporary philosophers and scientists is that the soul is a mystification. For Marilynne Robinson, American essayist and novelist, the crux of the matter is not the existence of the soul in itself, since this cannot be settled by debate. Rather, she challenges the sort of evidence that her opponents—mostly basing themselves on the work of neuroscientists, and evolutionary biologists—deem to be decisive in determining the question. The soul, she claims, does not appear at the level of our genes and neurons. Rather it is encountered in the many works of art and reflection that human beings have produced from the earliest times. This paper will focus on one such document, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="j_perc-2017-0009_ref_003_w2aab2b8b1b1b7b1ab1ab3Aa">Robinson’s novel <italic>Gilead</italic> (2004)</xref>, in which she proposes a vision of the soul closely allied to the notion of blessing. Blessing, in turn, is inseparable from metaphor, pointing us to mystery, an elusive reality whose presence we experience only intermittently, although it is always there. Although Robinson’s several collections of essays provide needed context for the view of the soul displayed in the novel, it is our claim that it is the novel that truly turns the tables in the debate, inviting the reader to affirm or deny the soul’s reality not on the basis of the pronouncement of experts but on the basis of the way a given language aligns with experience. The internalization that such a process requires reveals the soul in action. This paper is thus a reading of Robinson’s writings on the soul.</abstract>

Abstract

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<article-title>Marilynne Robinson, <italic>Gilead</italic>, and the Battle for the Soul</article-title>

Marilynne Robinson, , and the Battle for the Soul

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Perichoresis ist in den folgenden Services indiziert: <UL> <LI>ATLA Religion Database </LI> <LI>Base d’information bibliographique en patristique / Bibliographic Information Base in Patristics (BIBP) </LI> <LI>CEJSH (The Central European Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities) </LI> <LI>CNKI Scholar (China National Knowledge Infrastructure) </LI> <LI>CNPIEC - cnpLINKer </LI> <LI>Dimensions </LI> <LI>DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) </LI> <LI>EBSCO </LI> <LI>ERIH PLUS (European Reference Index for the Humanities and Social Sciences) </LI> <LI>ExLibris </LI> <LI>Google Scholar </LI> <LI>Index Theologicus </LI> <LI>J-Gate </LI> <LI>JournalGuide </LI> <LI>JournalTOCs </LI> <LI>Naviga (Softweco) </LI> <LI>PhilPapers </LI> <LI>SCILIT </LI> <LI>SCImago (SJR) </LI> <LI>SCOPUS </LI> <LI>Ulrich's Periodicals Directory/ulrichsweb </LI> <LI>Web of Science - Emerging Sources Citation Index </LI> <LI>WorldCat (OCLC) </LI> <LI>X-MOL </LI></UL>

Editor-in-Chief Corin Mihaila, Emanuel University, Romania Deputy/Managing Editor Dinu Moga, Emanuel University, Romania International Advisory Board Torrance Kirby, McGill University, Canada Frank A. James III, Biblical Theological Seminary, United States of America Hamilton Moore, Irish Baptist College, United Kingdom André A. Gazal, North Greenville University, United States of America Ábráhám Kovács, Debrecen Reformed Theological University, Hungary Joshua R. Farris, University of St. Mary of the Lake, United States of America Frank G. Bosman, Tilburg University, the Netherlands †James McMahon, Albert Ellis Institute, United States of America Editors Systematic Theology Paul Negruţ, Emanuel University, Romania Patristics and Classical Languages Marius D. Cruceru, Emanuel University, Romania Applied Theology Adrian Giorgiov, Emanuel University, Romania Old and New Testament Studies Aurelian Botica, Emanuel University, Romania Historical Theology Dinu Moga, Emanuel University, Romania Technical Editor Dinu Moga, Emanuel University, Romania Language Editor Eunicia Ile, Emanuel University, Romania Contact <a href="mailto:perichoresis@emanuel.ro">perichoresis@emanuel.ro</a> Publisher De Gruyter Poland Bogumiła Zuga 32A Str. 01-811 Warsaw, Poland T: +48 22 701 50 15

<DIV align=left> Please submit your manuscripts to Perichoresis via email to: <A href="mailto:perichoresis@emanuel.ro">perichoresis@emanuel.ro</A> Open Access Statement The journal is an Open Access journal that allows a free unlimited access to all its contents without any restrictions upon publication to all users. <A href="https://sciendo-parsed-data-feed.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/PERC/Open_Access_License.pdf">Open Access License</A> </DIV>

<DIV align=left> Perichoresis is the theological journal of Emanuel University, the only government-accredited Baptist university in Europe. As an institution of higher learning, Emanuel University promotes a traditionally conservative and trinitarian theology, protestant and evangelical, which is reflected in the articles of the contributors who are part of its academic staff. Articles written by people who share different religious views are also welcome provided that they are scientifically argued and focused on academic issues. Perichoresis is published in conjunction with the "Ethics and Society" Research Centre, also part of Emanuel University, which allows for the dialogue between a specifically Protestant-Evangelical morality and the philosophy of contemporary society to take the shape of well-argued contributions for the journal. Perichoresis does not collect article processing charges (APCs) or submission charges. The journal has an editorial review policy for invited papers, as well as double blind peer review for non-invited articles. Why subscribe and read Perichoresis, the Theological Journal of Emanuel University, is the only Romanian Baptist academic review in the field of theology (and cognate subjects, such as philosophy, religious philosophy, ethics, and church history) published exclusively in English throughout Romania. As a scientific journal, Perichoresis has a double purpose: on the one hand, to introduce valuable academic contributions from the English-speaking world to the Romanian academy and, on the other hand, to promote Romanian theological research on the global academic market. Why submit Perichoresis focuses on academic papers in all fields of theology (biblical-exegetical, dogmatic-historical, and pastoral-practical) and is fully recognized by the Romanian National Council for Scientific Research as a B Category academic journal. Archiving Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in <A href="https://www.portico.org/">Portico</A> - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections. Plagiarism Policy The editorial board is participating in a growing community of <A href="https://www.crossref.org/services/similarity-check/">Similarity Check System's</A> users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. </DIV>

Perichoresis

Marilynne Robinson, Gilead, and the Battle for the Soul

Annette Aronowicz
Annette Aronowicz

Published Online: 09 Sep 2017

Volume & Issue: Volume 15 (2017) - Issue 2 (July 2017) - Special Issue: : Celebrating 500 Years since the Reformation, 1517-2017. ‘On the Soul’ through the History of Ideas. Views of the Soul in Philosophy, Literature & Relivion by Ramona Simuț

Page range: 41 - 58

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Perichoresis

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Perichoresis

Marilynne Robinson, Gilead, and the Battle for the Soul

Annette AronowiczAnnette Aronowicz

Published Online: 09 Sep 2017

Volume & Issue: Volume 15 (2017) - Issue 2 (July 2017) - Special Issue: : Celebrating 500 Years since the Reformation, 1517-2017. ‘On the Soul’ through the History of Ideas. Views of the Soul in Philosophy, Literature & Relivion by Ramona Simuț

Page range: 41 - 58

Journal & Issue Details

Perichoresis

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References

Recent Articles

Annette Aronowicz
Annette Aronowicz