Ralph Ellison's invisible theology /

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Bibliographic Details
Author / Creator:	Harriss, M. Cooper, author.
Imprint:	New York : NYU Press, 2017.
Description:	1 online resource
Language:	English
Series:	North American religions
Subject:	Ellison, Ralph. -- Invisible man. Invisible man (Ellison, Ralph) Theology in literature. Theology in literature. Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Format:	E-Resource Book
URL for this record:	http://pi.lib.uchicago.edu/1001/cat/bib/12350482

Hidden Bibliographic Details
ISBN:	9781479872589 147987258X 9781479823017 1479823015
Notes:	Includes bibliographical references and index. Print version record.
Summary:	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. This 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.
Other form:	Print version: Harriss, M. Cooper. Ralph Ellison's invisible theology. New York : NYU Press, 2017 9781479823017

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Harriss, professor of religion at Indiana University, articulates the religious dimension of Ralph Ellison's life and work in this scholarly study. Arguing that race has the same interplay of the particular and the universal that defines religion, Harriss shows how Ellison's notion of invisibility counters the view of him as a thoroughgoing secularist. Secularity is religion made invisible, Harriss writes, and mapped onto other differences, such as race. Each chapter brings Ellison into conversation with other thinkers to show a religious lineage to his thinking while also tackling a chronological period or particular theme. These figures include Zora Neale Hurston, Reinhold Niebuhr, Nathan A. Scott Jr., and Paul Tillich. Though the prime focus is Ellison's Invisible Man and its reception, Harriss brings in his biography, teaching career, and unpublished work to round out these claims. The prose is not arresting, but it's clear and relatively persuasive. Harriss offers an intriguing way to rethink what religion looks like-even when it's invisible-in America. Specialists in the fields of literature, religion, race, and American history will find many important ideas to wrestle with in the work. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Ralph Ellison's invisible theology /

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