religious elements in detective fiction - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T14:51:11Zhttp://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/religious-elements-in?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A229548&x=1&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI rarely mention religion in…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-03-09:537324:Comment:2295482010-03-09T21:56:44.173ZStacyhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/StacyDeanne
I rarely mention religion in any of my books. It just doesn't come up during the subject matter. I guess it's because religion isn't big in my life either so it's nothing for me not to mention it. And if the characters go to church or something, I'd simply mention they went to church (if it was important to the story), but stuff like that is on a "need to know basis" in my opinion. Unless the religion aspect is important to the particular plot, I don't think it matters. In fact I rarely see any…
I rarely mention religion in any of my books. It just doesn't come up during the subject matter. I guess it's because religion isn't big in my life either so it's nothing for me not to mention it. And if the characters go to church or something, I'd simply mention they went to church (if it was important to the story), but stuff like that is on a "need to know basis" in my opinion. Unless the religion aspect is important to the particular plot, I don't think it matters. In fact I rarely see any authors mentioning religion or church in the books I read.<br />
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It would depend on the particular crime in my book for me. Like say, a woman was raped by a priest (who claims he was only trying to exorcise her), oh yes then I'd dove a little into the religion aspect of it.<br />
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Best Wishes!<br />
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<a href="http://www.stacy-deanne.net" target="_blank">http://www.stacy-deanne.net</a> Another recommendation: Any o…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285532010-02-28T15:56:16.794Zdoug andersonhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
Another recommendation: Any of John Burdett's books with his Buddhist detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep. They are full of out of body stuff, ghosts, and the esp that comes with rigorous meditation. I am at present reading <i>The Godfather of Kathmandu</i> in which Sonchai receives help from a Tibetan meditation master to bust a heroin operation. The way Buddhism threads its way through the corruption in these books is wonderful: everyone is a little corrupt, even Sonchai (whose mother is the…
Another recommendation: Any of John Burdett's books with his Buddhist detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep. They are full of out of body stuff, ghosts, and the esp that comes with rigorous meditation. I am at present reading <i>The Godfather of Kathmandu</i> in which Sonchai receives help from a Tibetan meditation master to bust a heroin operation. The way Buddhism threads its way through the corruption in these books is wonderful: everyone is a little corrupt, even Sonchai (whose mother is the madam of a Thai whorehouse). Thanks for the authors' names…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285522010-02-28T15:56:15.630ZAnja Kraetzschhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/AnjaKraetzsch
Thanks for the authors' names which I will pay attention to now. Even though I am more interested in finding African detective literature, other sources might show inter-cultural borrowings that could be of relevance from a transculurational perspective....<br />
The horror sphere has so far not yet been part of my research but I will give it some serious thoughts...
Thanks for the authors' names which I will pay attention to now. Even though I am more interested in finding African detective literature, other sources might show inter-cultural borrowings that could be of relevance from a transculurational perspective....<br />
The horror sphere has so far not yet been part of my research but I will give it some serious thoughts... The only thing that disturbs…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285512010-02-28T15:50:18.825ZAnja Kraetzschhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/AnjaKraetzsch
The only thing that disturbs me concernig Mma Ramotswe's pondering on morality is that McCall-Smith has probably transported his perception of how people from Botswana might perceive their reality into her character... It's still interesting, though. I will mention him and his work. As far as I remember, there was this one case of child-abduction with a supernatural background which shows modernistic disapproval of such a thing and its still relevant existence in these-days-Botswana
The only thing that disturbs me concernig Mma Ramotswe's pondering on morality is that McCall-Smith has probably transported his perception of how people from Botswana might perceive their reality into her character... It's still interesting, though. I will mention him and his work. As far as I remember, there was this one case of child-abduction with a supernatural background which shows modernistic disapproval of such a thing and its still relevant existence in these-days-Botswana I was thinking of implication…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-28:537324:Comment:2285502010-02-28T15:44:44.649ZAnja Kraetzschhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/AnjaKraetzsch
I was thinking of implications of partly archaic concepts of religiousity such as:<br />
fear that is just inside of all of us and might have found its representative in-carnation in the character of the culprit<br />
the (archaic) need to reinstall order, which can be achieved by finding either a scapegoat in the victim but more preferably in the culprit whose discovery or denouément would ultimately lead to some kind of transfer of guilt in general, inherent in human beings as much as is the potential…
I was thinking of implications of partly archaic concepts of religiousity such as:<br />
fear that is just inside of all of us and might have found its representative in-carnation in the character of the culprit<br />
the (archaic) need to reinstall order, which can be achieved by finding either a scapegoat in the victim but more preferably in the culprit whose discovery or denouément would ultimately lead to some kind of transfer of guilt in general, inherent in human beings as much as is the potential for "good" deeds (cf. Erich Fromm), onto that one person who has performed an actual crime in the story,<br />
death as the ultimate crime,<br />
and so forth....<br />
During my research, I have come across Christopher Rube-Vestweber's "Religioese Elemente des Detektivromans" which was his phd paper. I was just wondering whether any other scholar has concentrated on that subject as well.<br />
I am trying to find some connections to African literature as, for example, the still current sphere of the supernatural, as a reason for criminal deeds, might be one of the (rural-based) obstacles which the detective, police detective etc. will have to leave behind in order to find a more rational, realistic explanation to crime.... or the society in which a crime has been committed regards the detective either as some uninitated outsider or, instead, holds high expectations towards her/ him as its rather extraordinary representative (--> shamanism, priest-like behaviour etc.) role within it .... or the corrupted society (à la Chandler, Hammet...) is to be cleansed by the detective's devoted or even self-sacrificing work......and so forth. Not all clergy could read and…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-27:537324:Comment:2285032010-02-27T21:44:37.638ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Not all clergy could read and write. For that matter a lot of nobles could, and some of their upper servants, like the estate managers etc. naturally read and wrote. It depends a bit on the time. In Chaucer's age, a lot of people read and wrote. Under Charlemagne, there were schools for all children. However, after that a decline took place, and it's likely that many peasants were unschooled and dependent on their local clergymen.
Not all clergy could read and write. For that matter a lot of nobles could, and some of their upper servants, like the estate managers etc. naturally read and wrote. It depends a bit on the time. In Chaucer's age, a lot of people read and wrote. Under Charlemagne, there were schools for all children. However, after that a decline took place, and it's likely that many peasants were unschooled and dependent on their local clergymen. That reminds me that a lot of…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-27:537324:Comment:2284902010-02-27T18:10:16.071ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
That reminds me that a lot of historical mystery series set in the Middle Ages have monks, priests, nuns, and abesses as detectives. I have a notion that these are knock-offs of the Cadfael series, possibly with a nod toward feminism with female clerical figures. One would assume that theological concepts of good and evil play a role in those books. (To my embarrassment, I confess I don't read very many historical mysteries and none of the above). And then, of course, there's Umberto Eco with…
That reminds me that a lot of historical mystery series set in the Middle Ages have monks, priests, nuns, and abesses as detectives. I have a notion that these are knock-offs of the Cadfael series, possibly with a nod toward feminism with female clerical figures. One would assume that theological concepts of good and evil play a role in those books. (To my embarrassment, I confess I don't read very many historical mysteries and none of the above). And then, of course, there's Umberto Eco with THE NAME OF THE ROSE. That one I've read and found pretty good. I agree. There has been a gre…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-27:537324:Comment:2284822010-02-27T16:15:46.543Zdoug andersonhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
I agree. There has been a great cultural lobotomy. I heard that James Patterson intentionally writes novels with a vocabulary accessible to a sixth grade level reader.
I agree. There has been a great cultural lobotomy. I heard that James Patterson intentionally writes novels with a vocabulary accessible to a sixth grade level reader. Do you know the novels of Mic…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-27:537324:Comment:2284812010-02-27T16:14:49.880Zdoug andersonhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/douganderson
Do you know the novels of Michael Stanley? Sometimes they allude to African shamanic religions playing a part in the story.<br />
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Detective Kubu is not a saint, but a very decent guy. He has an eating disorder.<br />
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I don't know any saintly detectives, even in the novels of P.D. James with the gentleman detective Dalgliesh. A good many detectives are in search of some kind of redemption, e.g.; from booze, but they're far from saintly.<br />
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James Lee Burke definitely believes in a theological evil. Most…
Do you know the novels of Michael Stanley? Sometimes they allude to African shamanic religions playing a part in the story.<br />
<br />
Detective Kubu is not a saint, but a very decent guy. He has an eating disorder.<br />
<br />
I don't know any saintly detectives, even in the novels of P.D. James with the gentleman detective Dalgliesh. A good many detectives are in search of some kind of redemption, e.g.; from booze, but they're far from saintly.<br />
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James Lee Burke definitely believes in a theological evil. Most contemporary crime fiction relies more on psychological motives rather than theologically evil ones. Mo Hayder has a couple of novels in which a "tokoloshe" figures in the plot.<br />
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I would imagine crime fiction that borders on horror would have more instances of pure evil. A small proportion. I'm losin…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-02-26:537324:Comment:2283212010-02-26T15:00:55.568ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
A small proportion. I'm losing my faith in the general intelligence of people by watching CNN.
A small proportion. I'm losing my faith in the general intelligence of people by watching CNN.