4. Almost a Miracle

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Acknowledgments ix
4. Introduction: The Constitution and American Literature 1
5. I: The Constitution as a Secular Revelation
6. 1. At the Beginning 11
7. 2. The Path to Union 23
8. 3. The People, Having Spoken, Speak 31
9. 4. Almost a Miracle 39
10. 5. The Paradox of Secular Revelation 49
11. II: An American Literary Renaissance
12. 6. Declarations of American Literary Independence 57
13. 7. Preserving the Revelation 66
14. 8. Preserving the Paradox 78
15. 9. The Literary Renaissance of Secular Revelation 87
16. 10. Essays in Time 97
17. 11. A Poetic Form for Straying 111
18. 12. Clinging to Narrative 125
19. 13. Confidence and the Darkness of Revelation 144
20. Conclusion: The Literary Art of Uniting States 156
21. Notes 165
22. Index 189