Most aesthetic concepts are theological ones in disguise. — Terry Eagleton
Senti il mancare di ogni religione | vera. — Pier Paolo Pasolini
How has the cultural and social significance of religion changed in Europe? How does European literature register or reformulate the ‘narrative’ of secularization, and what is it about literary texts that makes them such privileged sites for exploring the intersection of the sacred and the secular? Volume 13 of Working Papers in the Humanities considers the intertwining of the sacred and the secular across eight different contexts, ranging from the end of the eighteenth century to the present day. Across a multitude of literary genres, including hymn, poetic parable, fairy tale and novella, and often poised at the intersection of philosophy and literary studies, this collection of articles both answers and raises questions about sacralization and secularization. In particular, it celebrates the work being done by early career researchers on questions of faith and doubt; Christianity and atheism; epiphany and experience; and contemporary transformations of the ethical.
'Just over a decade after the publication of Charles Taylor's landmark book, A Secular Age, it feels appropriate to reflect on what it means to live in a secular world which still retains or includes features of the sacred. Literary and poetic notions underpin many of the theological, social, and philosophical debates around secularism and various forms of faith. The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature examines these crossing points: where the literary meets the theoretical, and where the secular meets the sacred.' — Judith Ryan
Gudmunsen, Daisy, and Dellacasa, Claudia, ‘Introduction: The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 1–10 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Daisy Gudmunsen, Claudia Dellacasa, ‘Introduction: The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 1–10 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Subsequent footnote reference:37 Gudmunsen and Dellacasa, p. 47.
Gudmunsen, Daisy, and Dellacasa, Claudia. 2018. ‘Introduction: The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 1–10 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Gudmunsen and Dellacasa 2018: 21).
Example footnote reference:35 Gudmunsen and Dellacasa 2018: 21.
Ryan, Judith, ‘Time, Space, and Sacred-Secular Configurations in Modern European Poetry’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 11–20 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Judith Ryan, ‘Time, Space, and Sacred-Secular Configurations in Modern European Poetry’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 11–20 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Ryan, Judith. 2018. ‘Time, Space, and Sacred-Secular Configurations in Modern European Poetry’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 11–20 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Ryan 2018: 21).
Munday, Nathan, ‘The Welsh Hymn: Sacred or Secular?’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 21–30 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Nathan Munday, ‘The Welsh Hymn: Sacred or Secular?’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 21–30 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Munday, Nathan. 2018. ‘The Welsh Hymn: Sacred or Secular?’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 21–30 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Munday 2018: 21).
Neste, Steffie Van, ‘The Intersection of the Secular and the Sacred in Un Cas de conscience by Alexandre Dumas Père’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 31–39 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Steffie Van Neste, ‘The Intersection of the Secular and the Sacred in Un Cas de conscience by Alexandre Dumas Père’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 31–39 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Neste, Steffie Van. 2018. ‘The Intersection of the Secular and the Sacred in Un Cas de conscience by Alexandre Dumas Père’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 31–39 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Neste 2018: 21).
Taddei, Valeria, ‘The Sacred Mind: William James and Modernist Epiphany’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 40–49 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Valeria Taddei, ‘The Sacred Mind: William James and Modernist Epiphany’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 40–49 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Taddei, Valeria. 2018. ‘The Sacred Mind: William James and Modernist Epiphany’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 40–49 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Taddei 2018: 21).
Chabbert, Marie, ‘On Becoming-Secular: Gilles Deleuze and the Death of God’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 50–59 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Marie Chabbert, ‘On Becoming-Secular: Gilles Deleuze and the Death of God’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 50–59 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Chabbert, Marie. 2018. ‘On Becoming-Secular: Gilles Deleuze and the Death of God’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 50–59 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Chabbert 2018: 21).
Holman, Emily, ‘“No great statement about reality [...] can be static, like simple information”: Literary Language and Reality’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 60–68 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Emily Holman, ‘“No great statement about reality [...] can be static, like simple information”: Literary Language and Reality’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 60–68 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Holman, Emily. 2018. ‘“No great statement about reality [...] can be static, like simple information”: Literary Language and Reality’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 60–68 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Holman 2018: 21).
Binney, Sara Helen, ‘Creating a “space for the mystery”: The Sacred in the Twenty-First Century’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 69–78 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Sara Helen Binney, ‘Creating a “space for the mystery”: The Sacred in the Twenty-First Century’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 69–78 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Binney, Sara Helen. 2018. ‘Creating a “space for the mystery”: The Sacred in the Twenty-First Century’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 69–78 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Binney 2018: 21).
Vedrine, Sam La, ‘A Bit of Faith in Ecology: Paradox in Michel Deguy’s Poetic Parables’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 79–88 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35 Sam La Vedrine, ‘A Bit of Faith in Ecology: Paradox in Michel Deguy’s Poetic Parables’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)), 79–88 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Vedrine, Sam La. 2018. ‘A Bit of Faith in Ecology: Paradox in Michel Deguy’s Poetic Parables’, in The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13), 79–88 <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Vedrine 2018: 21).
Gudmunsen, Daisy, and Claudia Dellacasa (eds), The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)) <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
First footnote reference:35The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature, ed. by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13 (2018)) <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021], p. 21.
Subsequent footnote reference:37 Gudmunsen and Dellacasa, p. 47.
Gudmunsen, Daisy, and Claudia Dellacasa (eds). 2018. The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature (= MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities, 13) <http://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13> [accessed 17 April 2021]
Example citation: ‘A quotation occurring on page 21 of this work’ (Gudmunsen and Dellacasa 2018: 21).
Example footnote reference:35 Gudmunsen and Dellacasa 2018: 21.