The last 150 years, which have seen a decline of Christianity in the West, have also seen brilliant literature and film grapple honestly with the hardest questions that arise in Christianity's shadow: Does God exist? Can this God be trusted? How should we live in the face of suffering and injustice? In this course, we'll read poetry and fiction from great authors like Fyodor Dostoyevsky, T. S. Eliot, Flannery O'Connor, Louise Erdrich, and David Foster Wallace, and watch unforgettable films by directors like Martin Scoresce and Terence Malick. Throughout, we will explore how these works support and challenge traditional Christian teachings, and what they uniquely add as works of art. Our main focus, though, will be open, honest conversation about the ultimate questions these works of art raise.

Course No: HOUSECS 59