The readings in this course offer a "window" through which we can look out from the theological academy onto the secular world

The Language of Grace: Readings in Fiction

Dr. Kathleen H. Staudt Wesley Theological Seminary Spring 2007

The readings in this course offer a "window" through which we can look out from the theological academy onto the secular world and find language for what we understand as the workings of grace. A guiding assumption or our work together will be that the process of learning to read and understand fictional worlds helps train us to read, understand, and perhaps re-envision our lived human experience in new and creative ways. Literary works read in this context offer fresh images and invite new dialogue, even across apparent barriers of theology, culture and ethnicity. They thus serve our common need, as pastors, teachers and others involved in ministries of proclamation, to find and create fresh images and languages that will interpret issues of faith for a modern and increasingly secularized audience.

Books:

Willa Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop

Flannery O'Connor, A Good Man is Hard to Find

Endo, Deep River

Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country

Marilynne Robinson, Gilead

John Irving A Prayer for Owen Meaney

Carlson and Hawkins, Listening for God: Contemporary Literature and the Life of Faith, vol. II and III

ON RESERVE in library

O’Connor, Mystery and Manners

Walker, In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens

Course Objectives:

1. To reflect theologically on the experience of grace in fictional worlds that reflect a variety of human stories and cultures.

2. To read carefully attending to place, story, character, voice and other literary techniques that may help us to articulate more clearly our own experiences of grace.

3. To write reflectively and creatively in ways that may help us find new language for exploring the experience of grace in our lives and ministries.

Requirements

1. Regular attendance and weekly reflective writing (“journals”) on the reading. (See fuller description of reflective writing under “Graded Work in this Class.” (50% of grade)

2. Short paper on the language of grace in one of the short stories in Listening to God I or II. You will also introduce the class discussion on the day your story comes up on the syllabus. Draft of paper due February 12 from everyone. Final version of your paper due the week after class discussion of the story. (20% of grade)

3. Final paper: a piece of creative writing or reflective memoir using something we have read as a way into telling a story of grace from your experience (30% of grade).

Assignments (Due on day listed)

Week I (1/17) Introduction, "the language of grace,” class exercises, background on Cather. Opening scenes of Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Week II (1/24) Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop: read carefully through p. 135 (end of Chapter 4) the people in this book and LaTour's attitude toward them: characters of Latour and Vaillant. Christian missionaries' views of themselves in relation to the native people; spiritual values in Cather's novelistic world. What is the role of stories in the unfolding of the main story in this novel? JOURNAL #1 DUE.

ONLINE RESOURCES ON WILLA CATHER:

Willa Cather Site from Gustavus college Links about biography, criticism and background for all her work.

Willa Cather Archive at University of Nebraska Includes a photo gallery with images relevant to Death Comes for the Archbishop. Do a search on "Santa Fe" or "New Mexico" to see some of Cather's photos from her journey to the Southwest.

Week III (1/31) Finish reading Death Comes for the Archbishop. The language of grace in the novel as a whole: theological illuminations, images of God, portrayals of grace here. View of the church in this novel. The life and role of the minister-as-administrator. LaTour's struggle between himself "as man" and "as priest" -- in what ways can you relate this to your experiences with multiple roles? Where does this story speak to your story? JOURNAL #2 DUE

Background and intro for Flannery O'Connor.

Week IV (2/7) (In In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens (on reserve in library) READ Alice Walker's "Beyond the Peacock: the Reconstruction of Flannery O'Connor."

In O’Connor’s Mystery and Manners (also on reserve: a few copies available for sale at Cokesbury). Read “Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction” (pp. 36-50), “Novelist and Believer” (pp. 154-168) and “The Catholic Writer in the Protestant South,” 191-209. What is your impression of O’Connor, from these readings? (Journal #3 DUE)

In Listening For God, vol. 2 read O’Connor’s story "Revelation” (pp.15-36) including introduction to the story

Week V: (2/14), O’Connor: Read, in A Good Man is Hard to Find, the title story (pp. 9-29), "Good Country People," (pp. 169-196) and "A Temple of the Holy Ghost," pp. 83-101. O'Connor's use of the grotesque, theology of sin and grace in her work. (JOURNAL #4 DUE)

Background on Alan Paton

WEEK VI: (2/21) Cry the Beloved Country, part I, pp. 1-157 SHORT STORY PAPER DUE TODAY INSTEAD OF A JOURNAL (see assignments)

READING WEEK (2/28)

Week VII: (3/7)

Discussion of Cry the Beloved Country. Finish the whole novel for today.

(JOURNAL #5 DUE)

Background on Endo

Week VIII: (3/14) Deep River Chapters 1-5 (JOURNAL #6 DUE)

Also read in Listening For God III, Wendell Berry, “Pray Without Ceasing,” pp. 37-74.

And Reynolds Price, “Long Night” pp. 103-112

WEEK IX (3/21) Deep River (JOURNAL #7 DUE)

In Listening for God II read Annie Dillard, “The Deer at Providencia” and “A Field of Silence,” pp. 95-106

In Listening for God II, read Alice Walker, “The Welcome Table,” pp. 107-114

WEEK X: (3/28) Read and journal on Gilead, pp. 1-122 (JOURNAL #8 DUE)

In Listening for God II read Garrison Keilor, “Exiles” and “Aprille” pp. 115-1130.

In Listening for God III, read Tess Gallaher, “The Woman Who Prayed,” pp. 125-138.

WEEK XI: EASTER BREAK:

WEEK XII (4/11) Finish Gilead implications for ministry in this novel. How does unfolding of story shape/challenge our theologies of grace? JOURNAL #9 DUE)

In Listening for God II, read Patricia Hampl, “From Virgin Time”, pp. 57-70

Background and introduction on Godwin, Father Melancholy's Daughter..

WEEK XIII: (4/18) Read and journal on Father Melancholy's Daughter, Chapters 1-7 (JOURNAL #10 DUE)

In Listening for God II, Frederick Buechner, “The Dwarves in the Stable,” pp. 37-56.

WEEK XIV (4/25): Finish Father Melancholy's Daughter SENIORS: PAPERS DUE today No journals due today.

Also read in Listening for God II, Raymond Carver, “A Small Good Thing,” pp. 71-94.

WEEK XV (5/2): Sharing around topics of final papers.

PAPERS DUE today or, at latest, via email by Friday May 9. (Choose whether it works better for you to hand the paper in today, when we do presentations, or to revise further after your presentation. Papers I receive on the 2nd will be returned by May 9.)

GRADED WORK FOR THIS CLASS:

REACHING ME:

I respond promptly to email: mailto:kstaudt@umd.edu OR mailto:kathleen.staudt@gmail.comI can make myself available by appointment to meet with students immediately following class -- or before class if you're an early riser. It is best for me if you can make an appointment.