Literature or Dogma: Matthew Arnold as Demythologizer

Abstract

Examines Literature and Dogma to determine the extent to which it emphasizes the importance of dogma, and ways Arnold’s methodology foreshadows twentieth-century hermeneutics and formalist criticism. Summarizes the central argument of the book, noting how in reading the Bible as a literary document Arnold redefines terms for his own special purposes. Also highlights essential differences in his aim – to discover a moral system in the text – and that of twentieth-century theologian Rudolf Bultmann, with whom he is frequently compared. Believes Arnold’s failure to achieve his aim is reflective of a larger problem modern societies have in reconciling religious and literary traditions.