Between Human and Divine ─ The Catholic Vision in Contemporary Literature

From publisher lists to bestseller lists, Catholic literature is thriving today. Between Human and Divine is the first collection of scholarly essays published on a wide variety of contemporary (post 1980) Catholic literary works and artists. Its aim is to introduce readers to recent and emerging writers and texts in the tradition. Each of the fifteen essays presents an informative critical perspective on a given work or works, and each addresses the questions:

—what, specifically, makes this a work of Catholic literature?

—how does it both fit into and help shape the Catholic literary tradition?

In the broad and diverse range of works represented in this book, readers will find a veritable treasure trove of contemporary Catholic writing. Genres covered include fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction, and authors include those from the United States, England, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Australia, and Japan. Because many of these writers and works may be new to readers, the essays are partly introductory in nature, providing, where appropriate, brief author biographies and plot overviews. Thus this collection will appeal not only to literary scholars but to all readers interested in the intersection of religion and literature in general and in Catholic literature in particular.

Between Human and Divine furthers the study of the fascinating ways that religion, culture, social change, and tradition are shaped by the imaginative process. It also contributes to scholarship in the area by extending the parameters of the Catholic literary tradition into the present, demonstrating that such literature is flourishing today even if its subject matter, thematic concerns, and writing techniques show new and intriguing shifts in direction.

ABOUT THE EDITOR:

Mary R. Reichardt is professor of Catholic Studies and Literature at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, where she teaches Catholic literature courses and directs the Lilly Foundation grant program at the university. The author of seven books, her recent publications on Catholic literature include Catholic Women Writers, Exploring Catholic Literature, and the two-volume Encyclopedia of Catholic Literature. She is also the editor of several recent American literature titles in Ignatius Press's critical editions series.

THE CONTRIBUTORS:

Ed Block, Gary M. Bouchard, Michael G. Brennan, Meoghan B. Cronin, Davin Heckman, Daniel S. Lenoski, Robert P. Lewis, Eamon Maher, Dominic Manganiello, Stephen McInerney, Nan Metzger, Salvador A. Oropesa, Patricia L. Schnapp, RSM, Nancy Ann Watanabe, Wendy A. Weaver, J. C. Whitehouse

PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

"A masterful achievement on all counts: the perspicacity of its concept; the scope of its coverage; the high degree of professionalism of its contributors; the demanding standards of exposition and critical expertise; and, particularly vital, its timeliness. Each contribution is highly readable and accessible to anyone with an abiding interest in the contemporary literary scene in general. This latest work by Reichardt fills a lacuna in Catholic literature."—Russell E. Murphy, professor of English, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

"[An] interesting and informative volume of essays."—James T. Keane, S.J., America

"[I]ntelligently argued, well researched, and accessible works of scholarship that take an evenhanded approach to the source material." —M. E. DiPaolo, Choice

"This is a simply brilliant book, accessible to the general reader and appealing to the specialist; no library should be without it." —Religious Studies Review