Toni Morrison as Theologian
The course presents some of the major themes in Black theology and womanist theology and how those themes inform a theological approach to the writings of Toni Morrison. This course centers five critical theological areas: Christology, Eschatology, Pneumatology, Theodicy, and Creation. The class is deliberately interdisciplinary: the required reading is drawn primarily from literary texts, including Morrison’s novels, essays, and speeches. These works will be supplemented by secondary material from theology, ethics, and anthropology. Students are encouraged to offer productive critiques and develop creative and imaginative theological alternatives from a Black theology and/or womanist theology perspective.
American Religion, American Literature
What does the study of American literature reveal to us about the nature of the contemporary American religious experience? This course examines the connections between American religious faith, spirituality, and theology in contemporary American novels. By charting the religious dimensions of seemingly secular texts, this class investigates the intimate relationship between American literature and American religion.
Spiritual Autobiography
How does religion explicitly contribute to the shaping of a life story?
This course examines the rich diversity of the spiritual autobiography tradition, paying particular attention to how religious faith shapes the telling of an individual’s life. Terms like “autobiography,” “self,” and “spiritual,” are considered in considerable depth. Is it possible to know the self fully? What types of truths are hidden or revealed in autobiographical writing?
Race, Racism, Religion
Why is Sunday morning still the most segregated time in America? A partial answer to that question comes from understanding the intersections of race and religion in American culture. How is a view of American religion complicated when using the lens of race to provide a critique? How does the history of racism unfold in America if one argues that it is primarily connected to religious developments? Using history, theology, critical race theory, and cultural studies, this course offers a careful consideration of issues of race, racism, and religion in a variety of American faith traditions, but most notably in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.