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revdorothyl at 12:45pm on 03/02/2006
revdorothyl at 12:45pm on 03/02/2006One of the college chaplains on my campus ministry mailing list sent out an "S.O.S." this week, saying he'd been tagged to teach a course (for the first time in at least ten years) on "Religion and Literature" and needed some recent novel suggestions for the reading list, since he hadn't kept up with contemporary fiction over the past decade. He wrote,
"What suggestions can you offer of spiritually relevant contemporary fiction that might engage 'typical' undergraduates for whom this might be their first religion course? I am familiar with some of the classics, such as the works of Graham Greene, Flannery O'Connor, John Updike, and Ann Tyler. Are there more recent novels you would recommend?"
Naturally, I had a suggestion or two to make, but I was surprised by how many other chaplains and clergy on the mailing list immediately stepped forward with suggestions. Some of them were things I'd never heard of, and some were far from recent, but it was still an encouragingly long list.
It made me wonder what new delights or old reliables my Friends List might come up with, in response to a similar request for recommendations of "Spiritually Relevant Contemporary Fiction".
Anybody got any good ones to suggest, just in case I ever get the chance to teach such a course?
Meanwhile, here's the list from the chaplains, so far:
---"Definitely include a novel or two by Walker Percy. His first, The Moviegoer, is a tour de force of Roman Catholic spirituality focusing on an Ash Wednesday plus a few days journey through a young man's search for himself. Then, look at Second Coming, again by Percy, as a discussion of issues of God-awareness/consciousness in middle life and the rediscovery of love."
---"I took a class (several years ago) in seminary and in addition to the authors you suggested we read My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (GREAT book! Really interesting to talk about art and the crucifixion and such) - and I think maybe both The Color Purple and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I'm slowly making my way through Gilead, but I'm not sure college students would enjoy it."
---"For sure have them read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews."
---"Try one of Salley Vickers' novels: Mr. Golightly's Holiday has to do with [the book of] Job and Miss Garnet's Angel has to do with [the book of] Tobit, sort of. I like Mr. Golightly, but it may disturb some students.
"Lee Smith's Saving Grace is about the daughter of a snake-handling preacher.
"Frederick Buechner: The Book of Bebb, Son of Laughter, a couple about early Celtic saints - I can't bring the names to mind at the moment.
"Someting darker, more disturbing - Pullman's His Dark Materials series, of which I have read only the first volume.
"Try Michael Eisner's The Crusader."
---"In our senior ethics course, we use an excellent novel, Saints and Villains, by Denise Giardina. It's a fictionalized version of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life, is very well written and always a favorite of the students. Has tons of material to talk about in religion and lit. "
---"Gilead is popular these days. It won the Pulitzer prize last year. I bought it last week but haven't started it yet. Some favor the writing of Sue Miller--she is the daughter of an ordained minister. Also popular is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. My favorite in this category is probably Modern Baptists. Apparently the author has also written sequels.
"A faculty member at the University where I served put together a collection of spirituality-related short stories. It includes lots of the famous ones--'Conversion of the Jews,' 'Cathedral,' etc. ... It's called A Celestial Omnibus. ..."
---"If you're not averse to the science fiction and fantasy genres, I'd strongly recommend taking a look at Lois McMaster Bujold's novel The Curse of Chalion (2001, or thereabouts, with two sequels so far, each focused on a different person of the godhead, as God is known in that imaginary world).
"...Everyone I've talked to who's read Chalion (from fellow clergywomen to friendly agnostics) has been eager to discuss its implications for the meaning of sainthood, redemptive sacrifice, and the incarnation. ..."
---"You should consider Atonement by Ian McEwan."
---"...Of course it always depends on what you mean by 'religious', but if you don't know the works of Laurie R. King, please check out her web site. She's a mystery writer (created a female companion for Sherlock Holmes, etc.) I was about 15 pages into the first Laurie King book I'd ever read when I had to stop and research her -- to find out if she had a theological degree (she does). Strongly feminist, exquisitely articulate, intense. Additionally, her web site invites you to write to her --"
---"I second the Laurie R. King recommendation: a friend sent me King's second Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell novel, A Monstrous Regiment of Women, because it was so chock-full of issues of biblical interpretation and women's leadership in the church in the early 20th century, with quotes from Early Church Fathers and assorted theologians at the start of every chapter. Even without having read the first novel, I was instantly hooked. Just the pairing of atheist Sherlock Holmes with a Jewish female apprentice who's studying both Theology and Chemistry at Oxford makes for interesting reading in the entire series."
---[Added from the mailing list on 2/4/06] "I say you can't beat Harry Potter. I teach classes on evil in American history and culture, and I always put the quote, "There is no good or evil, only power, and those too weak to take it." on the board the first class and promise them a quarter if they can tell me where it is from. Nobody ever gets it. Voldemort says it to Harry in The Sorcerer's Stone.
"I'm teaching an American Studies class later this spring on American spiritual literature, and, among many other things, I'm going to use a selection from Walter Wangerin's The Book of God."
"What suggestions can you offer of spiritually relevant contemporary fiction that might engage 'typical' undergraduates for whom this might be their first religion course? I am familiar with some of the classics, such as the works of Graham Greene, Flannery O'Connor, John Updike, and Ann Tyler. Are there more recent novels you would recommend?"
Naturally, I had a suggestion or two to make, but I was surprised by how many other chaplains and clergy on the mailing list immediately stepped forward with suggestions. Some of them were things I'd never heard of, and some were far from recent, but it was still an encouragingly long list.
It made me wonder what new delights or old reliables my Friends List might come up with, in response to a similar request for recommendations of "Spiritually Relevant Contemporary Fiction".
Anybody got any good ones to suggest, just in case I ever get the chance to teach such a course?
Meanwhile, here's the list from the chaplains, so far:
---"Definitely include a novel or two by Walker Percy. His first, The Moviegoer, is a tour de force of Roman Catholic spirituality focusing on an Ash Wednesday plus a few days journey through a young man's search for himself. Then, look at Second Coming, again by Percy, as a discussion of issues of God-awareness/consciousness in middle life and the rediscovery of love."
---"I took a class (several years ago) in seminary and in addition to the authors you suggested we read My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (GREAT book! Really interesting to talk about art and the crucifixion and such) - and I think maybe both The Color Purple and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I'm slowly making my way through Gilead, but I'm not sure college students would enjoy it."
---"For sure have them read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews."
---"Try one of Salley Vickers' novels: Mr. Golightly's Holiday has to do with [the book of] Job and Miss Garnet's Angel has to do with [the book of] Tobit, sort of. I like Mr. Golightly, but it may disturb some students.
"Lee Smith's Saving Grace is about the daughter of a snake-handling preacher.
"Frederick Buechner: The Book of Bebb, Son of Laughter, a couple about early Celtic saints - I can't bring the names to mind at the moment.
"Someting darker, more disturbing - Pullman's His Dark Materials series, of which I have read only the first volume.
"Try Michael Eisner's The Crusader."
---"In our senior ethics course, we use an excellent novel, Saints and Villains, by Denise Giardina. It's a fictionalized version of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life, is very well written and always a favorite of the students. Has tons of material to talk about in religion and lit. "
---"Gilead is popular these days. It won the Pulitzer prize last year. I bought it last week but haven't started it yet. Some favor the writing of Sue Miller--she is the daughter of an ordained minister. Also popular is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. My favorite in this category is probably Modern Baptists. Apparently the author has also written sequels.
"A faculty member at the University where I served put together a collection of spirituality-related short stories. It includes lots of the famous ones--'Conversion of the Jews,' 'Cathedral,' etc. ... It's called A Celestial Omnibus. ..."
---"If you're not averse to the science fiction and fantasy genres, I'd strongly recommend taking a look at Lois McMaster Bujold's novel The Curse of Chalion (2001, or thereabouts, with two sequels so far, each focused on a different person of the godhead, as God is known in that imaginary world).
"...Everyone I've talked to who's read Chalion (from fellow clergywomen to friendly agnostics) has been eager to discuss its implications for the meaning of sainthood, redemptive sacrifice, and the incarnation. ..."
---"You should consider Atonement by Ian McEwan."
---"...Of course it always depends on what you mean by 'religious', but if you don't know the works of Laurie R. King, please check out her web site. She's a mystery writer (created a female companion for Sherlock Holmes, etc.) I was about 15 pages into the first Laurie King book I'd ever read when I had to stop and research her -- to find out if she had a theological degree (she does). Strongly feminist, exquisitely articulate, intense. Additionally, her web site invites you to write to her --"
---"I second the Laurie R. King recommendation: a friend sent me King's second Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell novel, A Monstrous Regiment of Women, because it was so chock-full of issues of biblical interpretation and women's leadership in the church in the early 20th century, with quotes from Early Church Fathers and assorted theologians at the start of every chapter. Even without having read the first novel, I was instantly hooked. Just the pairing of atheist Sherlock Holmes with a Jewish female apprentice who's studying both Theology and Chemistry at Oxford makes for interesting reading in the entire series."
---[Added from the mailing list on 2/4/06] "I say you can't beat Harry Potter. I teach classes on evil in American history and culture, and I always put the quote, "There is no good or evil, only power, and those too weak to take it." on the board the first class and promise them a quarter if they can tell me where it is from. Nobody ever gets it. Voldemort says it to Harry in The Sorcerer's Stone.
"I'm teaching an American Studies class later this spring on American spiritual literature, and, among many other things, I'm going to use a selection from Walter Wangerin's The Book of God."
(no subject)
And something that's caused quite a stir here is Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy. They're sci fi-ish books for children, and take a very negative view of religion. I don't know how much stir they've made in the US, but there's a film being made, which has been censored to some degree:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4077987.stm
Happy reading!
(no subject)
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My suggestion would be The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (and possibly its sequel Children of God). It deals with Roman Catholic and Jewish theology, atheism, crises of faith, and is a great story.
(no subject)
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1. The Sparrow- a novel about a bunch of people who are selected by the Catholic Church to be sent to another planet. They respond to the music that the other planet sent out as a signal. The novel explores various issues: 1) Clash of Cultures, 2) Limits of Language, 3) Belief in God.
The main character of the novel is a Jesuit, who believes deeply in God and has lost his faith because of what happened on the planet. The book is in a way a mystery novel - telling us why he has lost his faith, why he feels the way he does. It discusses how we relate to God or faith and how we may or may not blame god for what happens to us in our lives. Very haunting book.
I read it 10 years ago. Can't forget it. And everyone I've loaned it to, has been equally haunted by it.
Children of God is the sequel. The main character of the first novel returns to the planet but because of the time delay, returns years after the events of the first. It shows how, without meaning to, we can change a culture. A much better book about the ethics of being a missionary to another culture than Poisonwood Bible since unlike Poisonwood Bible, it refuses to answer any of our questions, just poses them.
Thread of Faith? I don't remember the title exactly. Just came out in paperback - it is about the Italian Resistance work within the Church during WWII to help the Jews escape the Nazis. Worth looking up. Based on real events. Haven't read it myself yet. Got that from looking at it in a bookstore.
Also seconding His Dark Materials - highly controversial and in a way a critique of Chronicles of Narnia. Also of CS Lewis other two novels, worth looking into, which in my view are more interesting than Narnia, Till We Have Faces - the Psyche/Eros Myth told from the point of view of an older ugly sister, and The Screwtape Letters. Then there's Terry Pratchette and Neil Gaiman's toure de force Good Omens which is a nice follow-up to Pullman's books. All these works deal more with the fundamentalist view of religion or literal.
Ship of Fools by Russell - I think, I'm bad at remembering author's names, sorry. This work I read last year and deals very strongly with faith, god, and the universe.
Finally, a book I'm not overly fond of, but is worth looking at for it's recent popularity - The Lovely Bones - the story of girl who was killed, which is told in her voice after she is dead.
(no subject)
Also Shusaku Endo's Silence. Focuses on forced recanting in Japan (I think the 16th century?). Somewhat disturbing, but also beautiful.
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Waiting for the Galactic Bus and The Snake Oil Wars by Parke Godwin. Both are incredibly irreverant comedies, but both are explorations of Christian Identity and Dominionist theology and politics. One of those "If we don't laugh we'll cry" kind of reads. Consider: Abraham Lincoln and John Calvin arguing a case in front of Marcus Aurelius. It's just brilliant, funny and very very biting (and it's Dead RPF). Think Mark Twain for the modern day.
Pillers of the Earth by Ken Follett. Cathedral building in the English civil war, closes with the martyrdom of Thomas a Becket.
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Do consider Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, which won the PEN/Hemingway Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.
The Frederick Buechner novel about the early English saint (or is he?) is Godric--very worthwhile and I've taught it successfully with undergraduates.
Handling Sin by Michael Malone is one of the very few spiritually relevant novels that's also laugh-out-loud funny. I recommend it highly.
Might consider The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The religion is muted, but the moral and spiritual concerns are certainly foundational. And it's a great book.
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It's really nice to know what books have worked well with undergraduate courses, especially! Thanks for being willing to share your experience!
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Second The Kite Runner which does an excellent job of depicting the Muslim Religion and Afganistan.
Another is The Chosen which I read a while ago which depicts the Orthodox Jewish community.
For non-fiction? My father just finished reading : The Historical Jesus highly controversial. And The History of God.
(no subject)
Is that book The Chosen the one they used as basis for the movie with Robbie Benson as the Orthodox boy who's a brilliant scholar and whose father never speaks to him directly? Title sounded familiar, anyway.
Definitely sounds like I can give The Poisonwood Bible a miss, since I much prefer questions to pat answers.
(no subject)
Also that name sounds familiar. The book, according to my father, states that the cruficion *may* have been rigged and Jesus went to India and converted people to Hinduism. Fascinating. I think Karen Armstrong is the author of History of God, and she has a new one out, Story of Myth or Orgins of Myth.
Yes, the Chosen is the same novel they made the Robbie Benson movie from. The book is actually much better, but isn't that always the case?
Poisonwood Bible is a good story and the characters are fascinating.
It gets a little on the preachy side regarding missionaries in Africa and the US' involvment with the Congo during the 70's/60's. Almost didatic. The author was in the area at that time and clearly has an ax to grind on the topic - also Kingslover is a bit of an activist regarding her writing.