Commercialization of Religion in Galway Kinnell's Poem The Avenue Bearing The Initial Of Cross Into The New World.

Abstract

Since the Bible,  the Christian religion has been deeply rooted in the commercialization of religion in society.  The poem The Avenue Bearing the Initial of Cross into the New World is an attack on the Church and its followers for practising commercialization in society.  Ironically,  it also attacks Christian beliefs and practices.  Kinnell presents shops,  market places, restaurants, and bars to link with religious marketing.  He portrays the characters as sellers and buyers,  a product,  and income.  He even presented Christ as income to boost the Roman taxes.  Marketing in religion affects both the spiritual and emotions of the followers.  The religious sacred is regarded as a product that is exchanged by prices and goods.  Kinnell rejected the Christian worshipping of idols.  Thus,  this paper presents the commercialization of religion in Galway Kinnell's poem The Avenue Bearing the initial of Cross into the New World