The+Final+Paper

Christian Themes in Literature: An Independent Study

“ Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal, with nothing to do but keep his house hope to hope.” //- John Ciardi// // Washington Square // and The Final Paper

Quotation to ponder:

The Roman Catholic writer and priest, Andrew Greeley (Chicagoan), writes:

Religion is imagination before it’s anything else. The Catholic imagination is different from the Protestant imagination. You know that: Flannery O’Connor is not John Updike.

The central symbol [of religion] is God. One’s “picture” of God is in fact a metaphorical narrative of God’s relationship with the world and the self as part of the world…The Catholic “classics” assume a God who is present in the world, disclosing Himself in and through creation. The world and all its events, objects, and people tend to be somewhat like God. The Protestant classics, on the other hand, assume a God who is radically absent from the world, and who discloses [Himself] only on rare occasions in Jesus Christ and Him crucified]. The world and all its events, objects, and people tend to be radically different from God.

The Catholic imagination is ‘analogical’ and the Protestant imagination is dialectical.”

Quotation to ponder:

Using Henry James’ //Washington Square// as an experiment, test this novel against your definition of “Catholic literature” and a “Catholic world view” and see how //Washington Square// fares. Does it meet your criteria for being a “Catholic novel?”

Expectations:

Clear definition of what is “Catholic literature” and thoughtful reflection on //Washington Square.// Use of references to support your claims and argument. Strong opening and closing statements in your paper. A good dose of “heart”