Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Theology / / M. Cooper Harriss, M. Cooper Harriss.

Examines the religious dimensions of Ralph Ellison’s concept of race Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel Invisible Man provides an unforgettable metaphor for what it means to be disregarded in society. While the term “invisibility” has become shorthand for all forms of marginalization, Ellison was primarily...

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Superior document:Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter New York University Press Complete eBook-Package 2017
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Place / Publishing House:New York, NY : : New York University Press, , [2017]
©2017
Year of Publication:2017
Language:English
Series:North American Religions ; 12
Online Access:
Physical Description:1 online resource
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Other title:Frontmatter --
Contents --
Acknowledgments --
Introduction --
1. From Harlem Renaissance to Harlem Apocalypse --
2. 1952 --
3. Above the Veil --
4. Wrestling Proteus in the New Dispensation --
5. Conceived in Sin --
Conclusion --
Notes --
Bibliography --
Index --
About the Author
Summary:Examines the religious dimensions of Ralph Ellison’s concept of race Ralph Ellison’s 1952 novel Invisible Man provides an unforgettable metaphor for what it means to be disregarded in society. While the term “invisibility” has become shorthand for all forms of marginalization, Ellison was primarily concerned with racial identity. M. Cooper Harriss argues that religion, too, remains relatively invisible within discussions of race and seeks to correct this through a close study of Ralph Ellison’s work.Harriss examines the religious and theological dimensions of Ralph Ellison’s concept of race through his evocative metaphor for the experience of blackness in America, and with an eye to uncovering previously unrecognized religious dynamics in Ellison’s life and work. Blending religious studies and theology, race theory, and fresh readings of African-American culture, Harriss draws on Ellison to create the concept of an “invisible theology,” and uses this concept as a basis for discussing religion and racial identity in contemporary American life.Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Theology is the first book to focus on Ellison as a religious figure, and on the religious dynamics of his work. Harriss brings to light Ellison’s close friendship with theologian and literary critic Nathan A. Scott, Jr., and places Ellison in context with such legendary religious figures as Reinhold and Richard Niebuhr, Paul Tillich and Martin Luther King, Jr. He argues that historical legacies of invisible theology help us make sense of more recent issues like drone warfare and Clint Eastwood’s empty chair.Rich and innovative, Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Theology will revolutionize the way we understand Ellison, the intellectual legacies of race, and the study of religion.
Format:Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.
ISBN:9781479872589
9783110728972
Access:restricted access
Hierarchical level:Monograph
Statement of Responsibility: M. Cooper Harriss, M. Cooper Harriss.