The Influence of Christianity on Western Literature

Literature and art are the best embodiment of culture. Under the influence of Christian culture, western literature shows its unique characteristics. Cai Yuanpei once pointed out that there is a close relationship between religion and literature, because both are the products of feelings. Judging from the religious literature in the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the 20th century, the Christian spirit has always been a potential undercurrent in western literature.

The most obvious manifestation of Christian culture in literature is that Christian religious spirit is the core concept of western literature. Writers often explain their Christian religious thoughts through the metaphorical image of Christ in their works and judge secular society with Christian spirit. This greatly promoted the spread of Christian culture. Hawthorne constructs a story structure from original sin to confession and then to redemption through delicate psychological depiction, putting Hester and Demestier in an unbearable position and analyzing their souls. The structural framework of The Scarlet Letter begins with the moral degeneration of the hero and heroine, and through hard spiritual experience, it achieves ultimate liberation, sublimation of human nature and peace of mind in the baptism of religion. The theme of the novel is to describe how two people who have committed crimes are reborn into their souls. Hawthorne, on the other hand, chose different perspectives to discuss the issues of morality and good and evil. He dissolved the chapter full of God's inspiring spirit in the Bible into the whole story, making it a new part, and integrated the abstract cultural prototype of "original sin" into the revelation of specific social problems. Jean Valjean, a convict who spent 19 years in prison in Les Miserables, accidentally broke into the home of Bishop Bienru and was warmly received. Before leaving, he stole a set of silverware from the bishop, but the bishop did not investigate, but gave him a pair of silver candlesticks. He said to Jean Valjean, "My brother, I have redeemed your soul, and I have saved it from the dark thoughts and the spirit of self-abandonment. Hugo truly embodies the idea that love and tolerance in Christian culture are the greatest salvation here.

When writing, writers intentionally integrate the moral of Bible stories into the plots and characters of their works, and often express and interpret them in the form of allusions, which more richly shows the important influence of Christian culture on them.