A Comparison of the Theme of “Redemption” in Beicun’s “Divine Writing”: Taking I Have a Covenant with God and The Book of Consolation as Examples

Abstract

This paper takes two novels of the writer Beicun during his transitional period as the research objects. Through close reading of the texts and comparative analysis, it explores the evolution track of the theme of redemption in his “divine writing”. In I Have a Covenant with God in 2005, redemption is mainly achieved through the religious conversion of the characters, reflecting a clear Christian redemption model. However, in The Book of Consolation in 2016, redemption turns to real-life dilemmas, and the characters seek a way out through self-reflection and reconciliation with others, with religious elements being diluted. This transformation is closely related to the social transformation in contemporary China - from the lack of faith under the impact of the market economy in the early stage to the complex social contradictions in the process of urbanization. Beicun’s redemption narrative has developed from directly conveying religious doctrines to providing spiritual care that is closer to reality. In terms of the path of redemption, it has shifted from emphasizing “external divine intervention” to “internal awakening”. In terms of the correlation with the times, it has changed from reflecting the “individual faith vacuum” in the early stage of the market economy to echoing the “collective spiritual trauma” in the process of urbanization. In addition, it reveals that Beicun’s strategy for dealing with the faith crisis has shifted from “conveying religious doctrines” to “reconstructing secular ethics”.