Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, & Hope In Western Literature

Christianity introduced deep laughter and joy to the world—laughter and joy that “all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

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In this short but stimulating work, Peter Leithart draws upon insights from history, theology, philosophy, and literature to connect two of the most glorious and unique truths of Christianity—its hopeful eschatology and its doctrine of a dynamic, personal Trinity. First, Leithart shows that the biblical view of history is essentially comic and hopeful, in contrast to the classical Greco-Roman view, which is essentially and irredeemably tragic. Then he develops the same point by examining Greek philosophy and its descendants (including postmodernism) in contrast to orthodox Trinitarian theology. Finally, he shows how the tragic and comic worldviews have been reflected in literature, with discussions of Greek epics and two Shakespearean plays. The result is a tour through three thousand years of intellectual history that celebrates the living power of orthodoxy.

You can also purchase this as an audiobook here, on audible,* on SCRIBD, and wherever audiobooks are sold.

From the Book:

“In the final analysis, that is the practical import of all that has been said in this little book: the joy of Easter, the joy of resurrection, the joy of trinitarian life does not simply offer an alternative ‘worldview’ to the tragic self-inflation of the ancients. Worked out in the joyful life of the Christian church, deep comedy is the chief weapon of our warfare.” -From the book

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Peter Leithart  (PhD, Cambridge) is President of Theopolis Institute in Birmingham, Alabama and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho. He is the author of numerous books on theology and literature, including The Baptized Body, Against Christianity, Brightest Heaven of Invention, and Ascent to Love. He has also authored articles in journals such as Pro Ecclesia, Journal of Biblical Literature, Westminster Theological Journal, and First Things. Peter and his wife Noel have ten children and a fetching collection of grandchildren.

Look Inside the Book

AUTHOR: Peter J. Leithart

PAGE COUNT: 178 pages

BINDING: Paperback

SIZE: 5×8″

ISBN 10: 1591280273

ISBN-13: 9781591280279

RELEASE DATE: October 27, 2006