The Modern Revival of Gnosticism and Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus Kirsten J. Grimstad,
Publisher: Camden House
ISBN: 1571131930
DDC: 833.912
Edition: Hardcover; 2002-01-15
Summary:
Gnosticism is an extreme religious sensibility, dating from the early
Christian era, that combines a radically pessimistic view of life and
the world with an optimistic belief that the human spirit is itself
divine, though lost in an alien and evil world. This study explores
the reappearance of Gnostic themes across the landscape of European
literature and thought and in major works by Thomas Mann. Prompted by
the rediscovery of original Gnostic writings during the late 19th and
early 20th centuries, this supposedly long-dead sensibility was
adopted as the earliest precursor for such far-reaching schools of
thought as C. G. Jung's model of individuation, the modern nihilism
of existentialism, and Gershom Scholem's treatment of Jewish
mysticism and the revolutionary messianic movements inspired by
kabbalist thought. Kirsten Grimstad argues that the modern cultural
movement known as the religion of art rekindled a culturally
subversive Gnostic sensibility that was expressed in an extremist
revolt against modernity, reiterating the Gnostic revolt against the
cosmos. Close textual analysis of Thomas Mann's Doktor Faustus
extends this argument by exposing a Gnostic redemption drama that is
encrypted within the main story of the protagonist's downfall and
damnation. Recognizing this hidden story unlocks some of the novel's
central problems.Kirsten J. Grimstad is associate professor of
graduate studies at the Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont.
Click on a subject to see other books listed with the same
subject or to drill down into components of the subject -- such as
geographical locations, dates and so on.
We query many merchants so that you can instantly
compare prices and
availability. You can even check historic prices and subscribe
for notifications. For a manual check, clicking on a link will open a
new window with a search for this book on the merchant's site of your
choice.
