JACKSON, Tenn. — March 7, 2022 — Jessica Hooten Wilson, Louise Cowan Scholar in Residence at the University of Dallas classical education and humanities graduate program, argued for the importance of reading literature in a Christian’s pursuit of holiness as a part of Union University’s annual Scholar-in-Residence Lecture Series.
Reflecting on arguments made by C.S. Lewis, Wilson said that imagination does not oppose intellect, but it aids in a Christian’s sanctification by stirring a desire for knowing God. Good stories are more than just cognition or fantasies, Wilson said. Instead, stories help humans learn how to perceive God’s truth on earth.
“If instead of creating a series of rules to guide my path, what if I saw a narrative that saturated my imagination, that stirred my desires so much, I woke up every day hungering for that kind of holiness I experienced in those novels,” Wilson said.
Wilson argued that Christians must learn how to train their imaginations by being aware of the stories and media being consumed. In a culture fiercely advocating that each person is the “author of your own story,” Wilson said there is a vicious philosophy and anxiety in having to decide one’s own meaning, purpose and destiny on earth.
“We have to be really careful about the kinds of cultural stories that we’re imbibing,” Wilson said. “I think that when we forget that we’re not the authors of our own stories, we fail to observe the true author.”
God’s story that began before humanity and will continue after this world ends is a much more exciting narrative, Wilson said, so it is important as Christians to reorient the focus of life’s grand narrative.
Wilson concluded by challenging the audience to think about who they are imitating as role models.
“You can either be in charge of that decision and submit yourself to models who are worthy of imitation, or you can be enslaved unknowingly to models who are not,” Wilson said. “The Christian story is to always be imitating the good, true and beautiful things that others did before you, so that you can pass them on to the next generation.”
In Wilson’s new book, “The Scandal of Holiness,” she highlights the biographies of Christian saints who helped shape and inspire her in learning what living for Christ looks like.
“If the Lord is the one who is granting you the grace for holiness, then it means the pursuit is to get to know him,” Wilson said. “If I wanted to become more like him, then I need to look around and pay more attention to people who are reflecting Christ to me.”
Wilson will host two more lectures, highlighting specific takeaways from her argument of why reading literature helps Christians be more like Jesus. Wilson’s remaining lectures include: “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 will take place in the Carl Grant Events Center and are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit uu.edu/events/scholarinresidence/.