JACKSON, Tenn. — Feb. 22, 2022 — Union University 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, “The Scandal of Holiness,” Wilson will offer perspectives on the relationship between religion and literature.
Sponsored by the Honors Community of Union University, 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 — not just theology — can contribute to growth in Christ.
“[Wilson] is an emerging public intellectual who has, through her insightful teaching and commentary, become a prominent Christian cultural critic,” Huelin said. “I’m 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.”
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’Connor. Her book, “Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov,” 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’s outreach to classical Christian educators.
The 24th annual Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series will take place in the Carl Grant Events Center. Wilson’s lectures include: “Why read literature to be like Jesus,” on March 3 at 4 p.m.; “Share in his suffering with Flannery O’Connor,” on March 3 at 7 p.m.; “Vita contemplativa and vita activa,” on March 8 at 4 p.m.; and “Ars Moriendi: How to die like Jesus” on March 8 at 7 p.m.
All lectures are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit uu.edu/events/scholarinresidence/.