This panel invites papers that rethink the relationship between novelistic realism and historical empiricism. Papers that deal with the popular Protestant novel in nineteenth- and twentieth-century America are particularly welcome: How do these novels prioritize and relate historical empiricism and religious belief? Could it be that they offer a different model for thinking about the novel as a necessarily secular genre?

Please send 250 word abstracts by October 10th to Kathleen Howard at khoward@rci.rutgers.edu. Along with your submission, please include your contact information, affiliation, and any AV requirements you may have