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The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature

Edited by Daisy Gudmunsen and Claudia Dellacasa

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MHRA Working Papers in the Humanities 13

Modern Humanities Research Association

20 December 2018

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

See news item: Call for Proposals - The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature (17 February 2017)

Contents:

1-10	Introduction: The Sacred in the Secular in European Literature Daisy Gudmunsen, Claudia Dellacasa	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
11-20	Time, Space, and Sacred-Secular Configurations in Modern European Poetry Judith Ryan	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Ryan, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Ryan 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
21-30	The Welsh Hymn: Sacred or Secular? Nathan Munday	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Munday, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Munday 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
31-39	The Intersection of the Secular and the Sacred in Un Cas de conscience by Alexandre Dumas Père Steffie Van Neste	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Neste, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Neste 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
40-49	The Sacred Mind: William James and Modernist Epiphany Valeria Taddei	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Taddei, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Taddei 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
50-59	On Becoming-Secular: Gilles Deleuze and the Death of God Marie Chabbert	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Chabbert, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Chabbert 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
60-68	‘No great statement about reality [...] can be static, like simple information’: Literary Language and Reality Emily Holman	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Holman, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Holman 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
69-78	Creating a ‘space for the mystery’: The Sacred in the Twenty-First Century Sara Helen Binney	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Binney, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Binney 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)
79-88	A Bit of Faith in Ecology: Paradox in Michel Deguy’s Poetic Parables Sam La Vedrine	Read Cite
	Cite this article in standard MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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. Subsequent footnote reference: ³⁷ Vedrine, p. 47. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.) Cite this article in author-date MHRA style: Bibliography entry: 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). Example footnote reference: ³⁵ Vedrine 2018: 21. (To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)

Cite this volume in standard MHRA style

Bibliography entry:

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: ³⁵ The 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.

(To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)

Cite this volume in MHRA author-date style

Bibliography entry:

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.

(To see how these citations were worked out, follow this link.)

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www.mhra.org.uk/publications/Sacred-in-Secular-in-European-Literature
www.mhra.org.uk/publications/wph-13