Peggy Harris
asked:
Can anyone tell me what role religion plays in this novel? I know the main character is a scientist but then it mentions hungering for her childhood faith...so I was wanting to know before deciding to read. I don't typically like books that eventually push religion on the reader or where it blatantly tells the reader that a particular religion is true, etc.
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Transcendent Kingdom,
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Emily
This is not a pushy religious book. Gifty is raised in the Pentecostal church and considers herself to be saved as a young child, but in the fallout from Nana's addiction, particularly the response of some of their congregation members to her family's struggles, Gifty leaves the church. As an adult, she chooses to become a scientist in order to pursue the same questions her religion was unable to answer about addiction, grief, and purpose through science. Gyasi does an excellent job of portraying how you can walk away from the faith of your childhood while still yearning for some of the comfort it brings, and how belief can be ambiguous rather than absolute.
Fergie
I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how the author handles religion & spirituality in this novel. Really, the book is more about a personal journey to come to a place of acceptance and peace in the wake of having one's belief system shattered by tragedy. This book is both deep and moving, but not condescending or heavy. It's a beautifully written story.
Nikos Crete
Not sure what James Corvin is talking about below. This book is not pushy about religion whatsoever. From the perspective of character that is both a child of devout upbringing and an adult with a rigorous scientific education; it's a masterful exploration of someone looking for answers, both religious, scientific, and personal.
Andrew Garvin
The meta-theme is about finding answers in science vs. religion. And, with respect to that end, Gyasi is a realist about both. She touches on a number of sub-subjects, including literalism. If anything, the book is slightly more critical than positive on religion.
James Scoolis
It is not pushing a religion but rather questioning it.
Ellison Musara
This book presents a very unconventional treatment of the theme of religion, and science too. It is not prescriptive and certainly non-pontificate, so to speak. At the end, the reader is placed in a similar dilemna as the author. To what extent do both of these traditions really answer the fundamental questions about the human condition and human existence. I think ultimately, the author's real quest is in finding new/different ways of understanding existence. There is no doubt she fills both herself and her mother have been shortchanged by religion in spite of the fundamentalism that is evident in all the churches she has had access to. But even her scientific depth does not also get her anywhere close to understand the forces that combine to wreck our lives - exacerbated of course by the tragedy of the immigrant's tragically predictable search for a the American dream.
Emily Jo
The book explores religion and science and discusses if they can co exist. There are characters that favor one over the other, but the author does not have an agenda to get you to join a church.
Karen McManus
Personally, it was way too much religion for me. I wasn't interested in repeatedly hearing about the practices/sermons/beliefs/sermons of Pentacostals, etc.
Kevin Luy
This book has no religious agenda. Nor is it openly dismissive of religion. That said... thinking about, describing, wrestling with religion takes up a lot of the book, and is one of the book's central topics.
Judith
If you don't care for books heavy on religion, don't read this one! Gifty was brainwashed by it, later embarrassed by it, then turned her back on it, but never stopped obsessing about it.
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Oct 27, 2020 12:54PM
Sep 13, 2021 03:52PM