September 30, 2008

Dear Colleagues,

As the time for our annual meeting of the Religious Education Association: Association of Professors and Researchers in Religious Education approaches, I anticipate an exciting time exploring with you the theme: “Fiction as Truth: Seeking Depth in Short Stories, Novels and Film.” Flannery O’Connor, has stated that “fiction is about everything human and we are made out of dust, and if you scorn getting yourself dusty, then you shouldn’t write fiction. It isn’t grand enough for you.” So let me warn you, we will get dusty with the human condition in Chicago in November!

We are privileged to have two renowned Chicago based writers exploring this topic with us, the sociologist and novelist Father Andrew Greeley and the short story writer Stuart Dybek.

Father Greeley will speak on Friday afternoon, addressing the topic, “How Stories about God Get Written.” He will discuss several of his novels and the experience of writing them. I suggest you read, if you haven’t already, one or more of the following of his works: Irish Linen, The Bishop in the old Neighborhood, The Archbishop in Andalusia, and The Senator and the Priest.

Stuart Dybek will engage us Saturday afternoon, reflecting on the theme: “The Lexicon of Mystery and Awe: Fiction's use of the Language of Religion.” He’ll explore differences between “religion” and “the spiritual,” and “realist” as compared to “fantastic” stories, the latter of which attend to “a figurative spirituality hovering just out of reach.” I encourage you to read his story “Hot Ice,” which appeared in The Coast of Chicago; it is one of four Dybek stories that have won an O. Henry prize. Other stories that will resonate with his talk are collected in Childhood and Other Neighborhoods, including “The Palatski Man” and “Visions of Budhardin.” If you are a subscriber to Harper’s magazine, you can access Dybek’s story, “Thread,” a tale about losing faith.

I look forward to addressing you Friday evening; my talk is entitled, “’Come Here Jesus, Wonder What God Had in Mind’: F. Scott Fitzgerald and Toni Morrison as Narrators of Theodicy.” Those who have read Morrison will recognize the indebtedness of my title to Beloved. I’ll be looking, through the lenses of Reader Response Theory, at the way that Great Gatsby and Bluest Eye, among other novels, engage the reader in depth questions regarding human experience.

In addition to a wonderful line up of speakers and themes, we have a meaningful and important pre-conference program by the Interfaith Youth Core, arranged for us by the REA Peace and Justice Task Force. The workshop, “Building Religious Pluralism – Diversity, Narratives and Justice,” will look at the theory and praxis behind the Interfaith Youth Core’s methodology for building religious pluralism, focusing on three core ideas: story-telling as a means of interfaith dialogue, shared values across religious traditions, and social justice between different groups.

I also want to make sure you put our 2009 meeting on your calendars. We will meet Nov. 2224, 2009, in Dallas. The theme will be announced in November by Maureen O’Brien, and I know you will be pleased!

For registration and other information on the annual meeting, please go to the website: http://old.religiouseducation.net/

I look forward to seeing you in Chicago. Best wishes,

Carol Lakey Hess

President-elect

chess@emory.edu