Wilder Calls Classical Criteria Of Literary Criticism Outmoded

Classical criteria for judging Biblical and secular literature are no longer adequate, the Reverend Amos N. Wilder, Hollis Professor of Divinity, asserted last night in his third lecture of the William Belden Noble series, "Theology and Aesthetic Judgement."

The speaker discounted the terms of tragedy and comedy as important in assessing literature, calling them "insufficiently serious and truthful." He cited the "everyday and the ordinary" as the truth of literature, praising the Christian Bible for introducing this note to the West.

In citing the beauty of the King James Bible, Professor Wilder asserted that scripture "should not be forced into a narrow space" by strict translations. He cited the Gospels as having "no precedent in any literature," and maintained that they could not "be forced into academic categories."