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Introduction
31
perimeter“thecountryneedstodecidewhichonestobuildontomeetitscurrent
challenges”(Parekh2007:32).Asemployedinthisbook,Britishnessdependson
thechangeablerelationshipsamongBritishpeople,ontheirflexibleperceptionof
thepastandoftheircountry.TotheextentthatBritishnessis“constantlyinthe
making,[ł]notafixedentity”(Parekh2007:39),totheextentthatitremains
contestableandlacksfixities,itisunderstoodasaphenomenonofweakontologi-
calstatus.Itsambivalentmeaning,opennesstoreinterpretationandundogmatic
relationshipwiththepastlocateBritishnessclosetothesimilarlyweakconcept
of“community”.Liketheweak-ontologies-basedcommunity,inwhichonecon-
sciouslyandcriticallydevelops(orredirects)one’scommitments,Britishnessisan
ongoingcriticalandhermeneuticproject.“TobeBritishistoparticipateinthis
projectinaspiritofcommitmentandcriticalsympathy”(Parekh2007:39).
AlthoughtheBibleisnottreatedtodayasafixedconstituentofcontemporary
Britishness,biblicaltextsareseenasahistoricallyimportantsourceofvaluesand
mythswhichco-createdthesenseofbeingBritish.Echoingmythsinwhichthis
studyisinterestedrevisittheconnectionbetweentheBibleandBritishness,chal-
lengeandcriticizethewaybiblicalmythscontributedtotheself-understanding
ofBritishpeople,andprobethesemythsfordiferent-weakerandmoreviable
-significance.TeresultingperceptionofBritishnessisnotanormalizing,total-
izinganduniversallyapplicableidea,butrather-inaccordancewiththelogicof
weakontology-partofanongoinginterpretationof(andconversationwithin)
community,anattempttoreimaginetogethernessandbelonging,adimensionof
anopen-endedprojectwhichunfoldsmultidirectionallyincontemporaryBritish
culture.Tisperceptionofcommonidentityisnecessarilypartialasitoriginates
inthosesectionsofthemulticulturalandmultifaithsocietyforwhichtheBibleis
intellectually,culturallyoremotionallyimportant.Tenovelistsdiscussedinthis
studyworkfromthepositionofnon-believersoratheists,yettheycontinuetowrite
throughandagainsttheBibleandJudeo-Christianity.Formostofthem,theBible
isamajorculturaltouchstoneandlorpartofthereligiousupbringing.Robertsand
BurgessgrewupasCatholics;Winterson’sbackgroundisevangelicalProtestant-
ism;Alderman’srootsareJewish;Pullman(whoadmitsthatChristianityformed
hismind)wasbroughtupAnglicanbyhisclergymangrandfather.Althoughtheir
voicesarenottheonlyonesinthecurrentdebateabouttheideaofcommunityand
identity,theirechoing-myth-basedcreationsconstituteaninterestingcontribution
tothereconsiderationoftogethernesswhichisnowinprogress.
InsofarastheBibleplayedanimportantroleinmouldingtheBritishelection-
and-exceptiontypeofnationalism,itplacedtheBritishinanantagonisticposition
againstallothernations,bracketingoftheideaofauniversal,singleChristian
community.7AsIargueinChapter3,biblicalechoingmythsinWinterson’sand
7InthenineteenthcenturyinIndia,forinstance,“preachersusedtheBibletodefineand
maptheirownworldandtocategorizethepeopleoftheirtime,goodandevil[ł].Whatitim-
