{"id":841,"date":"2024-11-25T09:00:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T09:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/classicalconversations.com\/blog\/finding-god-in-shakespeare\/"},"modified":"2025-05-12T15:58:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T15:58:20","slug":"finding-god-in-shakespeare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalconversations.com\/blog\/finding-god-in-shakespeare\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Should Christians Study Literature? Finding God in Shakespeare"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals\u2014and yet, to me, what is the quintessence of dust?<\/em> (Hamlet<\/em>\u00a0II.ii.303-308)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

When you read this, do you hear echoes of King David\u2019s question from Psalm 8: \u201cWhat is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.\u201d If you find yourself asking how God can be found in Shakespeare or why Christian parents and students should study Shakespeare, then one answer is that all literature can be used to examine Christian beliefs\u2014to find God and to remind us of our understanding of Him.. So, perhaps the real question is, \u201cWhy should Christians study literature?\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Should Christians Study Literature?<\/h2>\n

In\u00a0Brightest Heaven of Invention:\u00a0a Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays<\/em><\/a>, Peter Leithart addresses this. He explains that \u201cScripture itself is a literary work, and while it is a unique book in being divinely inspired, it also uses a variety of common literary types or genres: poetry, narrative, epistle, prophetic vision.\u201d (12) God calls himself the \u201cWord made flesh,\u201d (John 1:14) which means that all Christians should be intensely interested in words. God tells us His Story with words and weaves our lives into stories.<\/p>\n

Why Should Christians Study Literature Other than the Bible?<\/h2>\n

This leads to the next inquiry: \u201cWhy should Christians study literature other than the Bible?\u201d One answer is that through literature, we explore the significant questions related to leading an examined Christian life. As we train our students to develop the Christian worldview, we must consider many themes:<\/p>\n