Bernard Schweizer
Encyclopedia
Bernard Schweizer is an associate professor of English at Long Island University
, Brooklyn
. He has published several books and essay collections on topics in British and European literatures. He is a leading Rebecca West
scholar and has edited or co-edited a number of Rebecca West
’s previously unpublished and uncollected works. In 2003, he founded the International Rebecca West Society in New York and is currently the second president of the Society. Schweizer has written pioneering scholarly works in three fields: the politics of travel literature
, the female epic
, and, most recently, the treatment of God-hatred in literature (misotheism
).
His latest book, Hating God: The Untold Story of Misotheism, explores an almost unknown strain of God-thinking. Misotheists are not atheists, as Schweizer demonstrates, but people who blaspheme because they cannot forgive God for the miseries-both personal and collective-that befall humanity. Far from being depraved or immoral individuals, the misotheists treated by Schweizer are great humanists, thinkers, and artists.
Schweizer grew up in the German-speaking part of Switzerland
, where he lived for the first 28 years of his life. From 1978 to 1982 he trained as a health-care specialist in Bern. Thereafter, he studied for the Swiss Federal Bacchalaureate (Matura
), which he earned in 1986. From 1987 to 1988, he spent 14 months backpacking around the world. He enrolled at the French speaking University of Lausanne
in 1988 and in 1990 emigrated to the United States
to complete his B.A. at the University of Minnesota
, Twin Cities
, majoring in English. In 1991, he married Liang Schweizer, a biologist, in St. Paul
. He earned his Ph.D. in English Literature from Duke University
in 1997. For the next three years, he held a teaching and research appointment at the University of Zurich
, Switzerland. In 1999, Schweizer was awarded a two-year Swiss National Science Foundation
fellowship to conduct research on Rebecca West
. In 2002, he was offered a faculty position at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University and he received tenure there in 2007.
Essay Collections:
Editions of Rebecca West:
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. He has published several books and essay collections on topics in British and European literatures. He is a leading Rebecca West
Rebecca West
Cicely Isabel Fairfield , known by her pen name Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West, DBE was an English author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. A prolific, protean author who wrote in many genres, West was committed to feminist and liberal principles and was one of the foremost public...
scholar and has edited or co-edited a number of Rebecca West
Rebecca West
Cicely Isabel Fairfield , known by her pen name Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West, DBE was an English author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. A prolific, protean author who wrote in many genres, West was committed to feminist and liberal principles and was one of the foremost public...
’s previously unpublished and uncollected works. In 2003, he founded the International Rebecca West Society in New York and is currently the second president of the Society. Schweizer has written pioneering scholarly works in three fields: the politics of travel literature
Travel literature
Travel literature is travel writing of literary value. Travel literature typically records the experiences of an author touring a place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary. Travel literature may be cross-cultural or transnational in focus, or...
, the female epic
Female epic
The female epic is a concept in literary criticism that seeks to expand generic boundaries by identifying ways in which women authors have adapted the masculine epic tradition to express their own heroic visions....
, and, most recently, the treatment of God-hatred in literature (misotheism
Misotheism
Misotheism is the "hatred of God" or "hatred of the gods" . In some varieties of polytheism, it was considered possible to inflict punishment on gods by ceasing to worship them...
).
His latest book, Hating God: The Untold Story of Misotheism, explores an almost unknown strain of God-thinking. Misotheists are not atheists, as Schweizer demonstrates, but people who blaspheme because they cannot forgive God for the miseries-both personal and collective-that befall humanity. Far from being depraved or immoral individuals, the misotheists treated by Schweizer are great humanists, thinkers, and artists.
Schweizer grew up in the German-speaking part of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he lived for the first 28 years of his life. From 1978 to 1982 he trained as a health-care specialist in Bern. Thereafter, he studied for the Swiss Federal Bacchalaureate (Matura
Matura
Matura or a similar term is the common name for the high-school leaving exam or "maturity exam" in various countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia,...
), which he earned in 1986. From 1987 to 1988, he spent 14 months backpacking around the world. He enrolled at the French speaking University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
in 1988 and in 1990 emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to complete his B.A. at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, Twin Cities
Twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
, majoring in English. In 1991, he married Liang Schweizer, a biologist, in St. Paul
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
. He earned his Ph.D. in English Literature from Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in 1997. For the next three years, he held a teaching and research appointment at the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
, Switzerland. In 1999, Schweizer was awarded a two-year Swiss National Science Foundation
Swiss National Science Foundation
The Swiss National Science Foundation is a science research support organization mandated by the Swiss Federal Government. The SNSF was established in 1952 as a foundation under private law. Its secretariat is based in Bern....
fellowship to conduct research on Rebecca West
Rebecca West
Cicely Isabel Fairfield , known by her pen name Rebecca West, or Dame Rebecca West, DBE was an English author, journalist, literary critic and travel writer. A prolific, protean author who wrote in many genres, West was committed to feminist and liberal principles and was one of the foremost public...
. In 2002, he was offered a faculty position at the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University and he received tenure there in 2007.
Works
Monographs:- Hating God: The Untold Story of Misotheism (Oxford University Press, 2010)
- Radicals on the Road: The Politics of English Travel Writing in the 1930s (University of Virginia Press, 2001)
- Rebecca West: Heroism, Rebellion, and the Female Epic (Greenwood, 2002)
Essay Collections:
- Not So Innocent Abroad: the Politics of Travel and Travel Writing'' co-edited with Ulrike Brisson (CSP, 2009)
- Approaches to the Anglo and American Female Epic (Ashgate, 2006)
- Rebecca West Today: Contemporary Critical Approaches (University of Delaware Press, 2007)
Editions of Rebecca West:
- The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West, co-edited by Bernard Schweizer and Charles Thorne (Broadview Press, 2010)
- The Essential Rebecca West: Uncollected Prose by Rebecca West (Pearhouse Press, 2010)
- Survivors in Mexico by Rebecca West (Yale University Press, 2003)
- Woman as Artist and Thinker by Rebecca West (iUniverse, 2005)