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What Is Reading For?

 

While reading was once used for education, investigation, and religion, it is now a commonplace commodity. With the introduction of technology, book publishing has skyrocketed while the actual purchase of physical books is in decline. With the cultural change in literature, comes this concern from Vander Weele,” This question of values strikes our discipline as well. In literary studies, we swing between literature as formal appreciation and literature as a social symptom, without enough exploration of the space between” (Weele n.d.). 

            As a Christian literary critic, this “social symptom” should cause widespread concern for the hearts, minds, and souls of many. Society has lost sight of reading long text, which promotes brain growth in exchange for short blogs that deplete brain growth (Houston 352). In addition to the concerns for physical changes in the brain, a Christian should also be concerned about the content of the literature. For instance, according to C.S. Lewis on literary criticism, …you treat the picture (story, my word) —or rather a hasty and unconscious selection of elements in the picture—as a self-starter for certain imaginative and emotional activities of your own. In other words, you 'do things with it.' You do not lay yourself open to what it, by being in its totality precisely the thing it is, can do to you” (Lewis loc. 206-210). What Lewis is saying is a close second to the Scripture Proverbs 23:7, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." What we let in, we process and let it. If it is good, we express goodness. If it is garbage, well then, garbage in – garbage out. Perhaps it is essential to explore what is "in-between" as Weele stated.  

 Present-day literature, especially as a social symptom, should be considered closely whether the reader is a critic or layperson. The following list is a shortlist of books or series of books that are trending in today's society. In addition to the book is a listed ethical concern that can be addressed when exploring what is "in between."

1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (1997): sorcery and magic 

2. The Twilight Saga (2005): Occult shapeshifting, vampirism, violence 

3. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (2011): elicit sex, objectifying women, sadomasochism 

4. Anime: Occult powers, violence, fantasy

5. Superheroes: promethium, hybridism

6. Antiheroes: character bonding with “the bad guy.”

This shortlist contains the underpinnings of what is going on in culture today. It is more than just entertainment. It fills the minds with everything anti-God. If whatever a man thinks in his heart, so is he is true, it is safe to say that a reader is playing with fire when some secular works of literature are entertained.

            No matter the method used to analyze literature, there is a distinction between the sheep and the goats in literature. According to Lewis, critics create a hard line between the casual reader and the academic reader (Lewis 1209-1215). Perhaps it is better to take into context what it is that is read. An individual may find that reading Scripture is both engaging and relaxing. On the other hand, an individual may find a secular text engaging that leaves much to be wanted in the Christian world view, and may be very dangerous to the mind, heart, and soul of the audience.

Works Cited

Houston, S. M. "Reading Skill, and Structural Brain Development." Neuroreport 25.5 (2014): 347-352.

Lewis, C.S. An Experiment in Criticism. London: Cambridge, 1961. 

Weele, Michael Vander. "What is Reading For?" Christianity and Literature 52.1 (2002): 57-83.