American Exceptionalism as Religion: Postmodern Discontent

Jordan Carson's American Exceptionalism as Religion looks at how American nationalist ideologies intersect with religious ones in contemporary literature. Carson traces out how an exceptionalist belief system began to emerge historically with a distorted picture of religious commitment. He then connects this trend to writers such as Don DeLillo, Ana Castillo, Thomas Pynchon, George Saunders, and Marilynne Robinson to argue that these authors dismantle the privatization of religion in their writing and then offer their own alternatives. Their work, he argues, redefines religion in terms of practice and discipline, gauging it by its power to ground and guide behavior, morality, and sociality.

As American exceptionalism resurfaces in public discourse, Carson's timely work invites readers to reconsider the nexus of religion, politics, and culture. Carson argues that defining religion according to secularist criteria has insulated ostensibly secular ideologies as well as traditional religion from public scrutiny. DeLillo's, Castillo's, Pynchon's, Saunders's, and Robinson's redefinitions of religion result in a better grasp of how individuals actually live out their religious lives. More importantly, these authors help erect a framework for constructively engaging American exceptionalism and the ideas that support it.


Author: Jordan Carson
Publisher: Ohio State University Press
Published: 11/30/2022
Pages: 234
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.53d
ISBN13: 9780814255940
ISBN10: 0814255949
BISAC Categories:
- Literary Criticism | Semiotics & Theory
- Literary Criticism | American | General

About the Author
Jordan Carson is a Visiting Lecturer at Baylor University.

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