The Scandal of Reading

Tiffany Kriner joins Claude Atcho in continuing the exploration of the fruits of the Spirit. This week's selection of LaRose by Louise Erdrich focuses on Peace. The novel opens with a horrific accident that sends two closely related families and an entire community into a deep spiral of trauma. Progressing through the novel, the reader is confronted with a question: Can a community, a family, recover from deep-seated trauma?

LaRose by Louise Erdrich

Information on Claude Atcho:

Claude is the Vicar (Planting Pastor) for the Charlottesville church plant of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope, ACNA. 

Previously, Claude lived in Memphis, TN where he served as pastor of a multi-ethnic church, Fellowship Memphis. He's the author of Reading Black Books: How African-American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just, forthcoming from Brazos Press in Summer 2022.

Information on Tiffany Eberle Kriner, Ph.D.

I believe that texts have a place and a future in the Kingdom of God. In my scholarly book The Future of the Word: An Eschatology of Literature, I look at the intricate ways God makes meaningful futures for literary texts toward the community of the new creation in the Kingdom of God—and how God welcomes us to take part in the building of the texts and the community. I participate in the Kingdom of God through my work at Wheaton: building texts and communities. I particularly focus on intersections of theology, place, and race within literature.

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Winn Collier joins Austin to discuss the work of American novelist and poet Wendell Berry. Within the fictional town of Port William, the pair discuss the power of incarnation and the sense of time and place. The idea of geographical theology is brought to life as the location of Port William is juxtaposed against the inherent danger of the fragmented and abstracted growing digital culture.

Port William Series by William Berry

Jayber Crow: The Life Story of Jayber Crow, Barber, of the Port William Membership, as Written by Himself by William Berry

Information on the Host: 

Austin Carty holds degrees in literature and divinity from High Point University (B.A.) and Wake Forest University (M.Div.), and a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Emory University. He is the author of Christianity Today's Book Award of Merit for Church and Pastoral Leadership, The Pastor's Bookshelf

Information on Winn Collier

Winn has been a pastor for twenty-seven years and the founding pastor of All Souls Charlottesville. He is an Episcopal priest and serves at Western Theological Seminary as Director of The Eugene Peterson Center for Christian Imagination & Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Christian Imagination. He is also the director of the Genesis Project. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia where his work centered on the intersection of literary fiction and religion, particularly the sacramental landscape of Wendell Berry's fictional town of Port William.

Learn more about Winn Collier

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In the final episode for this season's spin-off series, Lit Pulpit, hosts Claude Atcho and Austin Carty discuss Walker Percy's award-winning novel, The Moviegoer. Written in 1961, Percy's book is from the beginning of our modern age, when it was hard to create imaginative work that spoke the truth of the gospel and when the language around Christianity had been tarnished by its embodiment at the time.

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Guest Daniel Nayeri joins Jessica to talk about their shared love for Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes. In the discussion, a theory is posited that as we move towards a more and more visual culture (i.e., graphic novels, prestige television, and YouTube), Calvin & Hobbes marks the ascendancy of that visual medium and the decline of the traditional novel.

The Theology of Calvin and Hobbes by Richard Beck

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson

Information on the Host: 

Jessica Hooten Wilson is a Senior Fellow at Trinity Forum, the inaugural Visiting Scholar of Liberal Arts at Pepperdine University, and the author of several books, including The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints, Learning the Good Life: From the Great Hearts and Minds that Came Before, and Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov. 

Learn more about Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson.

Information on Daniel Nayeri

Daniel was born in Iran and spent some years as a refugee before immigrating to Oklahoma at age eight with his family. He is the author of several books for young readers, including Everything Sad is Untrue (A True Story), winner of the Michael L. Printz Award, the Christopher Medal, and the Middle Eastern Book Award. He lives in the US with his wife and son.

Learn more about Daniel Nayeri

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Alan Paton's novel is widely regarded as a source of hope and endurance amid pain and significant suffering. As The Scandal of Reading continues season 3's theme about the Fruits of the Spirit, Claude Atcho interviews author S.D. Smith, who arrived in South Africa when Mandela was released from prison and left when he became president. S.D. Smith shares his perspective on Paton's work having firsthand experience of life in South Africa and how the book influenced his formation.

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

Information on Claude Atcho: Claude is the Vicar (Planting Pastor) for the Charlottesville church plant of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope, ACNA. 

Previously, Claude lived in Memphis, TN where he served as pastor of a multi-ethnic church, Fellowship Memphis. He's the author of Reading Black Books: How African-American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just, forthcoming from Brazos Press in Summer 2022.

Information on S.D. Smith:

S. D. Smith is the author of The Green Ember Series, a million-selling adventure saga featuring heroic #RabbitsWithSwords. The Green Ember spent time as the number one bestselling audiobook in the world on Audible. He is also the author of the madcap Mooses with Bazookas: And Other Stories Children Should Never Read as well as a fantasy adventure novel co-authored with his son, Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key. Smith’s stories are captivating readers across the globe who are hungry for “new stories with an old soul.”

Smith is a founder and owner of Story Warren, a publishing, events, and IP development house based in rural West Virginia. Story Warren exists to serve families as “allies in imagination.” 

S. D. Smith lives in Grandview, West Virginia with his wife and four kids.

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The search — what is it and why does it matter? Claude and Austin tackle this important theme from Walker Percy’s The Moviegoer

Whether you are reading along with us or simply want to know more about this important novel, join us as journey through this novel. Be sure to check out our Lit Pulpit Facebook group where you can ask questions and share thoughts on the novel:

The Lit Pulpit Facebook Group

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To start this new season of Lit Pulpit, Claude and Austin recap lessons from James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain, look back at important themes in the novel, discuss and interpret John’s conversion experience, and announce the next book for Lit Pulpit.

About the Host Claude Atcho:

Claude is the Vicar (Planting Pastor) for the Charlottesville church plant of the Diocese of Christ Our Hope, ACNA. Previously, Claude lived in Memphis, TN where he served as pastor of a multi-ethnic church, Fellowship Memphis. He's the author of Reading Black Books: How African-American Literature Can Make Our Faith More Whole and Just.

About the Host Austin Carty:

Austin holds degrees in literature and divinity from High Point University (B.A.) and Wake Forest University (M.Div.), and a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) from Emory University. He is the author of Christianity Today's Book Award of Merit for Church and Pastoral Leadership, The Pastor's Bookshelf

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This week's Fruit of the Spirit is Love. This week's guest author is medievalist, Grace Hamman. The two discuss the work of Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich.

Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich

Jesus through Medieval Eyes, by Grace Hamman

Information on the Host: 

Jessica Hooten Wilson is a Senior Fellow at Trinity Forum, the inaugural Visiting Scholar of Liberal Arts at Pepperdine University, and the author of several books, including The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints, Learning the Good Life: From the Great Hearts and Minds that Came Before, and Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov. 

Learn more about Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson.

Information on Grace Hamman:

Grace is the author of Jesus through Medieval Eyes, host of the Old Books with Grace podcast, as well as a medievalist, and wife and mom of three young kids.

Learn more about Grace Hamman at her Substack

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The Fruits of the Spirit theme continues for Season 3 with acclaimed author Phillip Yancey. Together host Jennifer, the duo discuss the devotionals of John Donne (1571 - 1631 A.D.), a cleric in the Church of England and the exhibited virtue of patience.

Where the Light Fell: A Memoir by Phillip Yancey

Information on the Host: 

Jessica Hooten Wilson is a Senior Fellow at Trinity Forum, the inaugural Visiting Scholar of Liberal Arts at Pepperdine University, and the author of several books, including The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints, Learning the Good Life: From the Great Hearts and Minds that Came Before, and Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov. 

Learn more about Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson.

Information on Phillip Yancey:

Growing up in a strict, fundamentalist church in the southern USA. Ever since, Yancey has explored the most basic questions and deepest mysteries of the Christian faith. Early on he crafted best-selling books such as Disappointment with God and Where is God When it Hurts? while also editing The Student Bible. Yancey worked as a journalist in Chicago for some twenty years, editing the youth magazine Campus Life while also writing for a wide variety of magazines including Reader’s Digest, Saturday Evening Post, National Wildlife, and Christianity Today.

Learn more about Phillip Yancey

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Shemiah Gonzales talks with Jessica to kick off Season 3 of The Scandal of Reading to discuss the edited collection of Joy: 100 Poems. Shemiah is working on her own book called, Undaunted Joy and the pair discuss the constant debate on how to define "joy" that eludes the academic and the lay person. 

Joy: 100 Poems, edited by Christian Wiman

Information on the Host: 

Jessica Hooten Wilson is a Senior Fellow at Trinity Forum, the inaugural Visiting Scholar of Liberal Arts at Pepperdine University, and the author of several books, including The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints, Learning the Good Life: From the Great Hearts and Minds that Came Before, and Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov. 

Learn more about Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson.

Information on Shemaiah Gonzalez:

Shemaiah Gonzalez is a writer with degrees in English Literature (BA) , Intercultural Ministry (MAPS) and Creative Non-Fiction Writing (MFA). She thrives in moments where storytelling, art, literature, and faith collide. Her work has appeared in America Magazine, Image Journal’s Good Letters, Ekstasis, The Curator, and Loyola Press, among others. She is currently writing a memoir, in the tradition of St. Augustine’s Confessions, it is written as a prayer. Obsessed with being well-rounded she jumps from Victorian Lit to Kendrick Lamar, from the homeless shelter to the cocktail party. A Los Angeles native, she now lives in Seattle with her husband and their two sons.

Learn more about Shemaiah Gonzalez

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