A literary and cultural investagation of the discord and resonance between classical ideals of heroic action and the imperatives of the Christian life, from the Homeric epic to the present day. The central theme of the book is the difficulty of recognizing, imitating, and participating in heroic excellence-a difficulty that becomes a common concern for classical, Renaissance, and modern writers. Specifically, the authors trace this theme of recognition, imitation, and participation from Homer and Virgil to the New Testament, through Spencer and Milton, to Bonhoeffer, Camus, and contemporary American culture.
