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In the 1950s, the Lutheran theologian Paul Tillich wrote a series of lectures dealing with what he saw as the ‘problem of theology and culture.’ Tillich argued that secular art could perform a sacred function in bringing human beings towards a more authentic awareness of ‘the ultimate concern.’ For Tillich, the greatest works of art were those which drew viewers and readers towards the horizon of understanding. In this course, we will consider a range of different literary masterpieces, considering the ways in which the work of these writers can bring us into encounter with the mysteries of human existence. We will bring these secular works of art into dialogue with some key concerns of the Christian theological tradition: sin, faith, prayer and personhood.
Week 1: Sin in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Coleridge’s masterpiece The Rime of the Ancient Mariner is presented to the reader as a fable. It tells the story of a mariner who murders an innocent albatross and as a result is condemned to a purgatorial existence: ‘life in death.’ This epic poem presents sin as a rebellion against nature. It also can be read today as a lament for the loss of connection between humanity and nature. In this session we will discuss sin, nature and integral ecology alongside the text of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
Week 2: Being in The End of March by Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop was one of the finest American poets of the twentieth century. Bishop avowed no religious beliefs or affiliations. Her poetry, nevertheless, present us with profound meditations upon – what Tillich would call – the ultimate concern. What is the place of the human being in the universe, she asks, and why go on being? We will be focussing on Bishop’s The End of March in this session.
Week 3: Prayer in If This is a Man by Primo Levi
Primo Levi’s If This is a Man is a startling, harrowing and profound meditation on the nature of humanity in the context of the holocaust. In this week’s session we will read one episode from the text – Kuhn’s Prayer – and will discuss the implications of this text for our understanding of the relationship between God and humanity.
Week 4: Creation in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley created one of the most iconic and recognisable figures in the history of Western literature. The character of ‘the monster,’ in this novel is a tragic and romantic figure who – by his very existence – poses profound philosophical and theological questions regarding the nature of personhood and the role of humanity within the created order.
Week 5: Faith in Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett
Samuel Beckett was one of the most puzzling, dazzling and thoughtful writers of the twentieth century. Waiting for Godot, written in 1958, can be read as a critique and as a caricature of the Christian concept of faith. The two men wait for the figure of Godot. They reflect on the power which Godot has over them. And all the while Godot fails to show his face. We will be reflecting on Beckett’s account of Christianity, in light of Godot, in this weeks session.
Reading
Questions for reflection
1. What does the albatross symbolise in the poem?
2. Why do you think Coleridge uses the framing device of the wedding?
3. Is the mariner doomed? Or forgiven?
4. How do you think the poet feels about the doctrine of original sin?
5. How do you interpret the following lines:
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
Reading
Questions for reflection
1. How might Elizabeth Bishop’s early experiences have affected her attitude towards Christianity?
2. “I am full of hymns.” What do you think Bishop meant by this statement?
3. Is ‘Miracle for Breakfast’ an anti-religious poem?
4. “You are an I. ”What is the speaker realising in this moment of the poem ‘In the Waiting Room’?
5. What does the lion/sun symbolise in Bishop’s ‘The End of March’?
6. What does the ‘crypto-dream-house,’ represent in the poem?
Reading
Questions for reflection
1. What does Steinlauf mean when he says that Levi must wash in order to stop himself from beginning to die?
2. What does the inscription at the bottom of Clausner’s bowl mean?
3 Is Kuhn wrong to say his prayer of thanksgiving?
4. What does Levi mean when he writes: “If I was God, I would spit out Kuhn’s prayer.”
5. Is theodicy immoral after Auschwitz?
Reading
Questions for reflection
1. How would you describe the character of Victor Frankenstein?
2. Do you think Frankenstein can be read as a profane parody of the Christian God?
3. How might Mary Shelley’s life experiences and background have affected her writing?
4. What similarities are there between this story and the ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’?
5. Is ‘the creature’ a hero or a villain?
Reading
Questions for reflection
1. How might Beckett’s war experiences have affected the development of Waiting for Godot?
2. Are Vladimir and Estragon sympathetic or unsympathetic characters?
3. What do you think the character of Pozzo represents?
4. Why does Beckett refer to the story of the two prisoners?
5. What does Vladimir mean when he says that when Godot arrives, they will be saved?
6. Do you think that the character of Godot serves as a metaphor for God?
7. Is this a nihilistic text?
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Aidan is a tutor in Social and Environmental Justice stream. He completed his PhD at the Divinity Faculty of the University of Cambridge in 2018. During his doctoral studies he ran as a Parliamentary candidate for the Green Party. He is the author of two academic books: Jewish Christians in Puritan England (2020) and Israelism in Modern Britain (2021). Between 2020 and 2022 he worked as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at St Mary's University in London.
