Between Religion and Literature: Meaning, Vulnerability and Human Existence

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course explores how theology and literature can combine to enrich our understanding. Focusing on the work of Augustine, Aquinas, Dante, Shakespeare, Dostoevsky and Primo Levi, students will address questions such as: ‘How does the way we use language bear upon our notions of truth?'; ‘How are the intellect and the imagination engaged by literary texts?'; ‘How does all this relate to how we think about God, human nature, and the relationship between them?' Such questions will be addressed, in particular, by reflecting on how the texts studied invite us to think about love, forgiveness, vulnerability and creativity.