Christianity, Reform and Freedom in Method Essay -- Religion History E

I feel like I need to begin my methodological introduction with graffiti. Graffiti that says Bercovitch Bites, or encourage Rules, or even Stop Elitist Historicists. Nothing particularly original -- safe a few key phrases that capture the frustration I fork out felt while researching recent Historicism and more particularly, its application to texts. Somehow, graffiti -- the unstudious domain of angry teenagers armed with cans of spray paint -- echoes my reaction to the scholars in this field who seem to be writing only for other scholars, consequently excluding those of us who, fascinated with the ideas expressed, would like to learn active the method and field of study by simply picking up a book or article. As I understand it, the whole idea of New Historicist denunciation is to enlighten the readers of a text further about that text. Enlighten, educate, teach or inform -- however you put it -- this kind of criticism should be inclusive, not exclusive. The heavy use of ja rgon and obscure references by these critics serves as a locked gate that only allows those with the proper credentials a key to collar in. Within the context of the text I have chosen (A biography of the Life and Travels of Mrs. Nancy Prince, by Nancy Prince) this elitist approach seems incongruous simply because of the facts surrounding its reference and publication. This is a text written by a primarily self-educated woman who felt very strongly about using her acquaintance and abilities in a hands-on manner to help and enlighten others. Ultimately, she wrote about her experiences to put food on her table, not to impress her colleagues. In whatsoever case, for the purposes of this paper, I will attempt to explain what I think New Historicism is and how I intend to use the theories beh... ...iticism. Online. 5 April, 1998. Available http//www.press.jhu.edu/books/hopkins_guide_to_literary_theory/entries/new_historicism.html Cogan, Frances. All-American Girl The prototype of Real Womanhood in Mid-Nineteenth Century America. Athens U of gallium P, 1989. Epstein, Leslie. The Politics of Domesticity Women, Evangelism and Temperance in Nineteenth Century America. Middletown Wesleyan UP, 1981. Howe, Daniel. The evangelistic Movement and Political Culture in the North during the Second companionship System. The Journal of American History 77 (March 1991) 1216-1239. Newton, Judith. History as ordinary? Feminism and the New Historicism. The New Historicism. Ed. H. Aram Veeser. New York Routledge, 1989. 152. Prince, Nancy. A Black Womans Odyssey through Russia and Jamaica The annals of Nancy Prince. New York Markus Wiener Publishing, 1990.