"Literature" and "Culture & Anarchy"

Like most of the class, it was difficult for me to fully grasp Arnold's "Culture & Anarchy" due to his unique style of writing. From what I understand, Arnold is trying to emphasis the importance of culture in trying to comprehend and work through life and its hardships. Arnold defines culture as "a pursuit of our total perfection by means of getting to know, on all the matters which most concern us, the best which has been thought and said in the world" (Arnold 5). I understand "total perfection" essentially to be living the best, most well informed life possible. The foundation of most people's "total perfection" generally stems from religion or spirituality in on way or another. What I think Arnold is trying to point out is that not all of the best insight comes from religious text or sacred word. I tend to think of literature as an important part of culture, which is why William's "Literature" compliments "Culture & Anarchy". I found it interesting how the classification of literature has changed. But, I don't really think that literature is so cut and dry that we would be able to put an all encompassing definition to it. I find literature greatly subjective and what may be considered new and insightful to one person may be completely irrelevant to another.

So, if Arnold wanted cultural influences to veer away from religion, what literary works have had as much universal cultural influence throughout time as the Bible?