French Literature Reviews - 2026

V. E. Taylor, Religion after Postmodernism. Retheorizing Myth and Literature
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas

TAYLOR, Victor E., Religion after Postmodernism. Retheorizing Myth and Literature, Charlottesville, Virginia University Press (Studies in Religion and Culture), 2008, 256 p.
ISBN 978-0-8139-2762-6

ABSTRACT

In this critical examination of the role of the imagination in the modern and postmodern periods, Victor E. Taylor looks at the 'fable' as a narrative form that addresses the ultimate questions of how to live and why. He assesses various literary theories and styles in the wake of postmodernism to reveal the ways in which fable-style narrative can be a meaningful genre for addressing traditional and post-traditional religious, ethical, and epistemological concerns. In the process, Taylor draws on key figures across the humanities—from Mircea Eliade and Claude Lévi-Strauss, Paul Ricoeur and Slavoj Zizek, to Leo Tolstoy and Franz Kafka.

Placing an emphasis on rethinking the importance of critical theory in religious studies, the author argues that a new, more demanding formulation of the concept of possibility allows for a realignment of the philosophical, mythological, and literary imaginations. By returning to the history of philosophy, myth studies, and modern literature, Taylor makes a renewed case for the significance of a distinctive formulation of religious theory as a desire for thinking. Religion after Postmodernism calls for a reconsideration of “theory as thinking” for the future of philosophy, religious studies, and literature.

BIOGRAPHY

Victor E. Taylor is Associate Professor at York College of Pennsylvania. His previous works include Para/Inquiry: Postmodern Religion and Culture and The Encyclopedia of Postmodernism.

The intersections between literature, philosophy, and religious thought have long occupied scholars examining how narrative forms shape ethical and epistemological inquiries. Within the broader landscape of modern intellectual history, the transition from modernism to postmodernism prompted sustained reflection on the status of myth, belief, and interpretation. Scholars in these fields frequently investigate how foundational narratives persist or transform when traditional belief systems encounter contemporary critique. Victor E. Taylor contributes to this ongoing discourse by focusing on the fable as a specific narrative genre capable of engaging both traditional and post-traditional concerns.

This volume examines the role of the imagination in the modern and postmodern periods through an engagement with various literary theories and styles. Drawing on figures across the humanities, the study reassesses critical theory within religious studies and proposes a realignment of the philosophical, mythological, and literary imaginations. Readers interested in contemporary intersections between literature, religion, and critical theory may find these discussions relevant to their inquiries into the future of philosophy and cultural studies.