The Conscience of the Autobiographer: Ethical and Religious Dimensions of Autobiography (Studies in Literature and Religion)

Argues that the writing of autobiography raises crucial issues of conscience as an author tries to know, assess and represent character. Individual chapters explore such issues as the nature of truthfulness, characterization, the virtues, shame and the religious dimensions of conscience. Particular attention is given to the essays of Montaigne and Samuel Johnson, and to autobiographies by Benjamin Franklin, Malcolm X, and Mary McCarthy. Barbour demonstrates the value of ethical criticism, integrating theories of autobiography, ethical theory, and the interpretation of particular narratives. This book is designed to be of interest to students of literature and language, philosophy and religion. The author has had articles published in "The Journal of Religion", "The Journal of Religious Ethics" and "The Journal of the American Academy of Religion".