--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The entire Bible, viewed as a \"divine…" description: "\"The entire Bible, viewed as a \"divine comedy,\" is contained within a U-shaped story of this sort, one in which man, as explained, loses the tree and wa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/northrop-frye-3483_bible_the-entire-bible-viewed-as-a-divine-come_1290219.png" --- # The entire Bible, viewed as a "divine comedy," is… ![“The entire Bible, viewed as a "divine comedy," is contained within a U-shaped story of this sort, one in which man, as explained, loses the tree and water of life at the beginning of Genesis and gets them back at the end of Revelation.” quote by Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/northrop-frye-3483_bible_the-entire-bible-viewed-as-a-divine-come_1290219.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/northrop-frye-3483_bible_the-entire-bible-viewed-as-a-divine-come_1290219.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da2/northrop-frye-3483_bible_the-entire-bible-viewed-as-a-divine-come_1290219.png) > “The entire Bible, viewed as a "divine comedy," is contained within a U-shaped story of this sort, one in which man, as explained, loses the tree and water of life at the beginning of Genesis and gets them back at the end of Revelation.” [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He interprets the Bible as a structured story where humanity loses and regains life’s essentials, framing it as a divine comedy. **In simple terms:** The Bible is seen as a story of loss and restoration. Key Takeaway Recognize patterns of loss and renewal. Themes religion literature myth structure redemption Mood analytical thoughtful Type scholarly interpretive When to use this quote - personal crises - spiritual journeys - cultural studies Key Concepts narrative arcs symbolic analysis theology Questions to Reflect On - What does the “U‑shaped” pattern reveal about human experience? - How does this view affect faith? A Different Perspective Viewing the Bible solely as comedy may overlook its solemn aspects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Divine comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-comedy/) [Genesis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genesis/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Revelation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelation/) [Revelations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revelations/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Water of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [Sir Guy Campbell's classic account of the formation of the links, beginning with Genesis and moving step by step to the thrilling arrival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-cooke/sir-guy-campbell-s-classic-account-of-the-formation-of-the-links/) [Alistair Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-cooke/) > [It's time for a new Reformation in the Church--to call the Church back to the authority of the Word of God, beginning in Genesis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-ham/it-s-time-for-a-new-reformation-in-the-church-to-call-the-church-back/) [Ken Ham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-ham/) > [The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-that-god-created-man-in-order/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [This is a huge step toward unraveling Genesis Chapter 1, Verse 1-what happened in the beginning. This is a Genesis machine. It'll help to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/this-is-a-huge-step-toward-unraveling-genesis-chapter-1-verse-1-what/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [I remember going to a son's friend's bar mitzvah, and the text that he chose to explicate was right at the beginning of Genesis.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-remember-going-to-a-son-s-friend-s-bar-mitzvah-and-the-text-that-he/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and fowl and all creatures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-that-god-created-man-in-order-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [In the acquisition of Sacred knowledge, scholarship and reason are not alternatives to revelation. They are a means to an end, and the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/in-the-acquisition-of-sacred-knowledge-scholarship-and-reason-are-not/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [There is not one iota of history as we know it in the entire Bible!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-boyd-kuhn/there-is-not-one-iota-of-history-as-we-know-it-in-the-entire-bible/) [Alvin Boyd Kuhn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-boyd-kuhn/) > [ \[The Psalms are\] a Little Bible, wherein everything contained in the entire Bible is beautifully and briefly comprehended. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-psalms-are-a-little-bible-wherein-everything-contained-in-the/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [“The very beginning of Genesis tells us that God created man in order to give him dominion over fish and foul and all creatures.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-very-beginning-of-genesis-tells-us-that-god-created-man-in-order-3/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“HELEN HAYES: “Which part of The Divine Comedy do you like the most, Tiziano?” TIZIANO CONTI: “The fifth Canto.” HELEN HAYES: “The Hell, huh?”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merce-cardus/helen-hayes-which-part-of-the-divine-comedy-do-you-like-the-most/) [Merce Cardus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merce-cardus/) > [“This was part of the divine comedy-God's sense of humor undergirding the inner workings of the universe. Sinners participated in the redemption of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/this-was-part-of-the-divine-comedy-god-s-sense-of-humor-undergirding/) [Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/) > [“If you lead me astray, then my wanderings will bring me to my destination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/if-you-lead-me-astray-then-my-wanderings-will-bring-me-to-my/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“His (Islamic astronomer al-Farghani) legacy also endures through the Italian writer and poet Dante (1265-1321), who derived most of the astronomical knowledge he included…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-al-khalili/his-islamic-astronomer-al-farghani-legacy-also-endures-through-the/) [Jim Al-Khalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-al-khalili/) > [“Everyone loves a comedy, my dear. It is divine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rawi-hage/everyone-loves-a-comedy-my-dear-it-is-divine/) [Rawi Hage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rawi-hage/) ## More by Northrop Frye > [I soon realized that a student of English literature who does not know the Bible does not understand a good deal of what is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/i-soon-realized-that-a-student-of-english-literature-who-does-not/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Our country has shown a lack of will to resist its own disintegration .. . Canada is practically the only country left in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/our-country-has-shown-a-lack-of-will-to-resist-its-own-disintegration/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [“The only thing that words can do with any real precision or accuracy is hang together. Accuracy of description in language is not possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-only-thing-that-words-can-do-with-any-real-precision-or-accuracy/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [The bedrock of doubt is the total nothingness of death. Death is a leveler, not because everybody dies, but because nobody understands what death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-bedrock-of-doubt-is-the-total-nothingness-of-death-death-is-a/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Even the human heart is slightly left of centre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/even-the-human-heart-is-slightly-left-of-centre/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Physics is an organized body of knowledge about nature, and a student of it says that he is learning physics, not nature. Art, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/physics-is-an-organized-body-of-knowledge-about-nature-and-a-student/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Literature as a whole is not an aggregate of exhibits with red and blue ribbons attached to them, like a cat-show, but the range…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/literature-as-a-whole-is-not-an-aggregate-of-exhibits-with-red-and/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [One doesn't bother to believe the credible: the credible is believed already, by definition. There's no adventure of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/one-doesn-t-bother-to-believe-the-credible-the-credible-is-believed/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Culture's essential service to a religion is to destroy intellectual idolatry, the recurrent tendency in religion to replace the object of its worship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/culture-s-essential-service-to-a-religion-is-to-destroy-intellectual/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [“Tendintele autoritate ale conservatorismului trebuie corectate prin mituri ale libertatii, in vreme ce un simt conservator al ordinii trebuie sa tempereze tendintele liberalismului spre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/tendintele-autoritate-ale-conservatorismului-trebuie-corectate-prin/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Literature is a human apocalypse, man's revelation to man, and criticism is not a body of adjudications, but the awareness of that revelation, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/literature-is-a-human-apocalypse-man-s-revelation-to-man-and/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [“The particular myth that's been organizing this talk, and in a way the whole series, is the story of the Tower of Babel in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/the-particular-myth-that-s-been-organizing-this-talk-and-in-a-way-the/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Every human society possesses a mythology which is inherited, transmitted and diversified by literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/every-human-society-possesses-a-mythology-which-is-inherited/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [Science begins with the world we have to live in, accepting its data and trying to explain its laws. From there, it moves toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/science-begins-with-the-world-we-have-to-live-in-accepting-its-data/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) > [In the world of the imagination, anything goes that's imaginatively possible, but nothing really happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/northrop-frye/in-the-world-of-the-imagination-anything-goes-that-s-imaginatively/) [Northrop Frye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) [Explore all 129 Northrop Frye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/northrop-frye/) ## More Bible quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [“God hates Hell. He hates the idea of people going there. He hates it so much that He was willing to take on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-minton/god-hates-hell-he-hates-the-idea-of-people-going-there-he-hates-it-so/) [Evan Minton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-minton/) > [“The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose, Sergeant,’ Anthony Payne replied. ‘That is from The Merchant of Venice, but it holds great truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arnold/the-devil-can-cite-scripture-for-his-purpose-sergeant-anthony-payne/) Michael Arnold > [When you put your hand on the Bible, you are saying something much stronger than just telling your peers that you're going to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-greenwood/when-you-put-your-hand-on-the-bible-you-are-saying-something-much/) [Lee Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-greenwood/) > [“Scripture also teaches that human beings are morally responsible creatures”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-peterson/scripture-also-teaches-that-human-beings-are-morally-responsible/) Robert A. 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The Bible is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/where-i-come-from-you-re-not-raised-to-think-on-your-own-it-s-not/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/i-felt-like-praying-or-something-when-i-was-in-bed-but-i-couldn-t-do/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? 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