JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 22, 2022 — 51社区 will host its annual Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series March 3 and March 8 with Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson speaking on how reading secular and religious fictional literature contributes to personal sanctification.
Focusing on her new book, 鈥淭he Scandal of Holiness,鈥� Wilson will offer perspectives on the relationship between religion and literature.
Sponsored by the Honors Community of 51社区, the Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series has invited conversations from nationally and internationally renowned scholars for 22 years.
Scott Huelin, director for the Union Honors Community and professor of English, said the Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series helps the Union community imagine how all studies 鈥� not just theology 鈥� can contribute to growth in Christ.
鈥淸Wilson] is an emerging public intellectual who has, through her insightful teaching and commentary, become a prominent Christian cultural critic,鈥� Huelin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 hopeful that her lectures on this topic will give literature students more resources for thinking theologically about their reading and theology students more reasons to read fiction.鈥�
As the Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence at the University of Dallas classical education and humanities graduate program, Wilson has written books on the works of Fyodor Dostoevsky, Walker Percy and Flannery O鈥機onnor. Her book, 鈥淕iving the Devil his Due: Flannery O鈥機onnor and The Brothers Karamazov,鈥� received the 2018 Christianity Today book of the year award.
Wilson helped establish a classical Christian school and regularly speaks to classical Christian educators around the country. Huelin said this is the first of many efforts to expand Union鈥檚 outreach to classical Christian educators.
The 24th annual Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series will take place in the Carl Grant Events Center. Wilson鈥檚 lectures include: 鈥淲hy read literature to be like Jesus,鈥� on March 3 at 4 p.m.; 鈥淪hare in his suffering with Flannery O鈥機onnor,鈥� on March 3 at 7 p.m.; 鈥淰ita contemplativa and vita activa,鈥� on March 8 at 4 p.m.; and 鈥淎rs Moriendi: How to die like Jesus鈥� on March 8 at 7 p.m.
All lectures are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit .