The Christ Haunted Fiction of Flannery O'Connor/Great Hall
August 18-September 22
with Lee Ramsey
When Hazel Motes in Flannery O’Connor’s novel, Wise
Blood, blurts to a complete stranger, “If you’ve been
redeemed, I wouldn’t want to be,” most readers sit up
and take notice. As a fiction writer and committed Roman
Catholic raised in the predominantly Protestant, deep
South (the region that she called “Christ-haunted”),
O’Connor’s religious vision infuses her work through
arresting characters and tragic-comic situations that invite
sustained reflection. Through a combination of reading,
discussion, and film, this class will focus upon O’Connor’s
religious vision as expressed in her short stories and the
novel, Wise Blood. Class members should read the short
story, “Revelation,” for the first class session.
Two books will be needed for the course:
The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor
Wise Blood: A Novel by Flannery O’Connor
Dr. Lee Ramsey is Professor of Pastoral Care and
Preaching, Memphis Theological Seminary, and the
author of Preachers and Misfits, Prophets and Thieves:
The Minister in Southern Fiction.
Family Sanctuary: Spirituality in Relationships/Emison Room
August 18-September 22
with Calvary's Adult Christian Education Committee
As before, this class offers an opportunity for participants to discuss the issues and needs they bring to the session. The environment of the class is a small group in which open and honest dialogue with other members of the Calvary family occurs. The initial session will be an input session to determine how the class members wish to go forward.
Education for Ministry (EFM)/Montgomery Foyer
Beginning Wednesday, September 8
Education for Ministry is a four-year intensive learning experience for adults. In a seminar setting, up to eleven people study the Bible, church history, theology, and contemporary church issues. Learning to think theologically is also a core component of the program. EFM was created at the University of the South, and its curriculum is a distillation of that which is used in the Seminary at the University. Participants learn the theological disciplines as well as the application of this knowledge in their lives. Each year's group may include students from more than one year of the program. Students are asked to commit to one year at a time. Enrollment takes place during the summer, before the group begins its fall session. For more information about EFM, please contact Martin Jellinek.