Atwood, Ecology, and Spirit: Literary Approaches to Science and Religion

This book proposes and maps a nascent subfield of scholarship within the science-and-religion field that examines the intersection of science, religion, and literature; simultaneously, it draws out and argues for the benefits of incorporating literature into science-and-religion studies. Part one introduces and maps the subfield of science-religion-and-literature by defining and, at times, coining key terms and phrases, providing an overview of method within the larger science-and-religion field, and mapping the proposed subfield by reviewing exemplary studies. Part two examines the use of literary theory at the intersection of literature with society, religion, and science. Part three portrays a use of particular literary texts–using Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy as a case study–that seeks to bring insight to the science-and-religion field. The study concludes in part four by assessing the various methods that have been portrayed throughout the book, articulating the benefits of studying literature within the science-and-religion field, and suggesting further directions of research at the intersection of science, religion, and literature.