“In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i>
In Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i>, one of Ames’ greatest hopes is for his son to place himself “in the way of the gift.” What is this gift, and what does it mean to place oneself in its way? The gift, I will argue, is what Charles Taylor has described as a moral source that is mediated by inte...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/9/2/32 |
| _version_ | 1827718906498777088 |
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| author | Tae Sung |
| author_facet | Tae Sung |
| author_sort | Tae Sung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i>, one of Ames’ greatest hopes is for his son to place himself “in the way of the gift.” What is this gift, and what does it mean to place oneself in its way? The gift, I will argue, is what Charles Taylor has described as a moral source that is mediated by interpretive frameworks, and empowers us toward ideals otherwise difficult or impossible to sustain. <i>Gilead</i> enacts the necessary condition of having narratives of the gift, of having been in its way, in order to mediate its reception again. But if restoration is the great potential of the gift’s reception for Ames, it also points to the condition of impossibility for Jack, who is never given such a gift, despite having always been in its way. Although there is no guarantee the gift will be given, what <i>Gilead</i> explores are the postsecular conditions necessary for the gift to be received. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:33:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e1f30a4ac8ca49df8e9df3aa0458e42b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:33:24Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj.art-e1f30a4ac8ca49df8e9df3aa0458e42b2023-11-19T21:16:23ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872020-04-01923210.3390/h9020032“In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i>Tae Sung0English, California Baptist University, Riverside, CA 92504, USAIn Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i>, one of Ames’ greatest hopes is for his son to place himself “in the way of the gift.” What is this gift, and what does it mean to place oneself in its way? The gift, I will argue, is what Charles Taylor has described as a moral source that is mediated by interpretive frameworks, and empowers us toward ideals otherwise difficult or impossible to sustain. <i>Gilead</i> enacts the necessary condition of having narratives of the gift, of having been in its way, in order to mediate its reception again. But if restoration is the great potential of the gift’s reception for Ames, it also points to the condition of impossibility for Jack, who is never given such a gift, despite having always been in its way. Although there is no guarantee the gift will be given, what <i>Gilead</i> explores are the postsecular conditions necessary for the gift to be received.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/9/2/32giftgracephenomenologyCharles Taylorpostsecularismhermeneutics |
| spellingShingle | Tae Sung “In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i> Humanities gift grace phenomenology Charles Taylor postsecularism hermeneutics |
| title | “In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i> |
| title_full | “In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i> |
| title_fullStr | “In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | “In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i> |
| title_short | “In the Way of the Gift”: The Postsecular Conditions of Grace in Marilynne Robinson’s <i>Gilead</i> |
| title_sort | in the way of the gift the postsecular conditions of grace in marilynne robinson s i gilead i |
| topic | gift grace phenomenology Charles Taylor postsecularism hermeneutics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/9/2/32 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT taesung inthewayofthegiftthepostsecularconditionsofgraceinmarilynnerobinsonsigileadi |