The Careful Infidel: Calvinist Anthropology in the Works of Robert Louis Stevenson

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This thesis seeks to offer the first comprehensive analysis of Robert Louis Stevenson's Calvinistimagination. Through a consideration of his corpus as a whole, including his life writings, fiction,essays and letters, I shall undertake a reading which focuses on the theological dimensions andfunctions within his works. By utilising a religious lens to open up aspects hitherto obscured, I shallendeavour to transgress the divisions conventional critical approaches assume, to argue Stevenson'sengagement with the Calvinist and Scottish Presbyterian tradition constitutes the elusive, unifying,factor to his works.My PhD will build upon my current MRes research, which focuses on the literary double withinStevenson's fiction ("Jekyll and Hyde", "Markheim" and The Master of Ballantrae) and demonstrateshow he engaged with the Calvinist anthropology of self and double predestination, to provide a positive- redemptive interpretation of the doppelgänger and duality. This represents the culmination of asustained study of theology and literature throughout my BA Theology which has enabled me toidentify how theological work can be accomplished through narrative and poetics. A recent module,'God and Gothic', allowed me to expand this focus to include doctrinal explorations undertaken throughgenre. My undergraduate dissertation on the effects of collective consciousness and memory will alsobenefit this study. Additionally, I elected to study several undergraduate English modules in languageand stylistics to equip me with critical analytical skills required. My present involvement as a ReviewsEditor in a new journal from the University of Nottingham Humanities department has also enhancedmy familiarity with cross disciplinary efforts. My experience in academia has provided me with theintegrative methodology needed to extend my focus beyond Stevenson's fiction, to his nonfiction, andmeans I am ideally placed for an interdisciplinary project of this nature.