Thomas Mann's concept of religion and its relevance to the interpretation of Buddenbrooks

[摘要] The theory is advanced that Thomas Mann conceived of religion not as adherence to any orthodox dogma, but as an attitude defined as ;;religiously-based humanism,;; the characteristics of which are: scepticism toward both belief and disbelief; modesty; reverence for man despite a profoundly pessimistic view of human history; the belief that life is a process of atonement and purification, and that ;;higher health;; is attainable only through the experience of death and ;;that which lies below;;; and a sense of detachment from the mundane, everyday world. In Chapter I, Thomas Mann;;s religious ideas and Nietzsche;;s influence upon them are discussed in terms of Thomas Mann;;s major fictional works, his lectures, correspondence, and theoretical writings. Chapter II, an examination of religion in Buddenbrooks, attempts to show that the elements of Thomas Mann;;s conception of religion are already present in this first major work. In Chapter III the conclusion is drawn that Thomas Mann;;s ;;religiously-based humanism;; had its origins in his early adulthood, and that throughout his life there was no fundamental deviation from this initial conception of religion.

[发布机构] Rice University