Penn Name | Alluding to understanding

I don’t come from a very religious household. And although I went to Sunday school when I was younger, I didn’t learn many Bible stories. As a result, I often need a teacher’s help in my English classes to pinpoint Biblical allusions in texts. Considering that I intend to be an English major, this is a problem.

I’m not alone. Many Penn English majors face this challenge, including College junior John DeLuca, who admitted to sometimes having trouble locating and analyzing Biblical terms. So I propose that the English Department require majors to take a religion class.

It’s important to give English students a working knowledge of religious texts because once they graduate, they can no longer depend on their professors for guidance. College junior Branden Duong admits that notes are often provided on religious references in the literature presented by their professors.

But could students actually figure out these references on their own? It’s in Penn’s best interest to make sure that all English students are capable of interpreting literature independently. Students don’t actually learn anything if they can’t do it for themselves. Plus, those who plan to attend graduate school or become professional writers should be able to locate religious allusions. Otherwise, it would be impossible for these students to analyze new literary pieces, come up with new interpretations for classic pieces or write using the references themselves.

Of course, most people in this country, regardless of religious upbringing, know something about the Bible. However, people from other countries who know little about Western religion may struggle to even understand these references. And more obscure allusions and references from non-Western religions could perplex many literature lovers who don’t posses a strong multi-religious foundation.

The English Department could require a secular course that would present religious texts as literature rather than as spiritual teachings. The department already offers a class titled “The Bible As Literature,” but it should be mandatory and expanded to include a greater focus on non-Western religions.

But why have a religion class? Why can’t the English Department just put together a database of Biblical terms?

Not all Biblical allusions are obvious. Many works do make use of common religious images such as “the forbidden fruit,” which most of us know is a reference to the Garden of Eden. However, there are other religious references that are more esoteric. If you don’t even know they’re related to religion, you might not even think to look them up in a database. Associate Undergraduate Chairwoman of the English Department Deborah Burnham concurs, saying that in some cases “contemporary readers will read something and we won’t even realize that it’s a Biblical reference.”

And what if a writer has a novel way of referring to a religious figure or event? What would it say about our literati if creativity got us down? A database of religious terms couldn’t be exhaustive enough for a lifetime of literary studies, much less centuries of literary history. Burnham agrees, saying that “it’s one of those things that would take forever.” We need a working knowledge of different religious texts in order to make sure that future generations can enjoy and learn from evolving literary styles.

And whether we like it or not, we need to be able to get inside authors’ heads to understand their work. As Burnham stated, you can’t respect the imagination of many of the great authors without knowing about religious allusions. Requiring a religion course could be the answer in terms of giving majors a strong knowledge of religious themes. While Burnham found the idea of such a requirement unexpected, she also thought it would be a fascinating thing to consider.

Laura Cofsky is a College sophomore from New York. Her e-mail address is cofsky@theDP.com. Penn Name appears on Fridays.

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