Most modern literary theory is explicitly anti-theological. This book states the case for a contemporary literary theory whose principles derive from Christian theology. Ferretter argues that it remains rationally and ethically legitimate to use theological language in literary theory despite the objections to such a theory posed by deconstruction, Marxism and psychoanalysis. Having argued that Christian theology can in principle be used in literary theory and criticism, the book goes on to suggest how this might be done in practise. It examines contemporary hermeneutics, and recent work in the study of literature and theology, in order to formulate the principles of a contemporary Christian literary theory. This derives from Christian theology on the one hand, and takes account of the critique of such theology posed by contemporary literary theory on the other.