Memes and Meaning - Presence and Transcendence in Literature

Drawing from literature, philosophy, theology, and cultural critique, this short and accessible book challenges modern conceptions of meaning as something to be consumed rather than created. The book reframes meaning as an act of mediation, not transmission. Meaning is not the successful delivery of content; it is the forging of relation between speaker and hearer, text and reader, past and future. Patrycja Austin and Simon Perry consider a wide range of sources including classical literature, ancient philosophy, the Bible, medieval literature, and contemporary American fiction. In a world where connection feels increasingly elusive, this book offers a path back to presence, showing how texts allow us to ‘show up’ for one another across the boundaries of time, language, and being. This interdisciplinary book will appeal to readers interested in literature and theology, philosophy and literature, literary ethics, and critical theory.