Today is the feast day of my favorite saint – St. John Paul II. There are so many things to love about this man. His lifestyle and his personalist approach made him relatable. His love for hiking, skiing, poetry, and drama, as well as his experience in Poland during and after World War II, make him a remarkable and fascinating man. His love, as evidenced in all that he did, is a stellar example of what it means to be a Christian, including the sacrificial nature of the universal call to holiness. So, what better day than today for Full Quiver Publishing to release Image and Likeness: Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body?
Why a fiction collection? Erin McCole Cupp and Ellen Gable have put together a tremendous collection by authors as varied as they are talented. In coming days, they will be sharing interviews with those authors that answer (among other things) why fiction? You can find a selection of quotes on the collection’s website, but here’s just one example:
All art is evangelical. Image and Likeness, Theology of the Body #shortreads #TOB Share on X
Here’s my own take on “why fiction?” that I shared on my Facebook page:
I’m disappointed when people dismiss fiction as irrelevant or somehow less important than nonfiction. Fiction can be powerful, powerful stuff. It has a rightful place next to nonfiction even when it comes to catechesis and evangelization.
For more information on Image and Likeness, including author interviews, keep tabs on the collection’s website. You can also join the discussion at the Image and Likeness Facebook Launch Party on Thursday, October 27, 2016 from 8:00 – 10:00 EDT. Take a look at all the books authors have donated as party favors!
Image and Likeness: Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body edited by Erin McCole Cupp and Ellen Gable
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Even if you’ve read St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body from start to finish and a half-dozen nonfiction books about it on the side, I guarantee this collection of shorts will uncover the teachings in ways you hadn’t considered. It will challenge you in unexpected ways. One or two (or more) of the stories may make you uncomfortable. While the writing is polished, the varnish coating the darkness of our lives is stripped, laying bare the truths written on our heart and the lies we tell with our bodies.
Recommended for reading, reflection, discussion, and even entertainment. A gritty but beautiful introduction not only to the Theology of the Body as it is lived (or rejected), but also to the breadth and promise of Catholic fiction being written by contemporary authors. These shorts are accessible to any careful reader, whether familiar with the Theology of the Body or not.
(I received an advance copy. I am contracted by Full Quiver Publishing for other projects, but had no part in Image and Likeness. Opinions expressed are purely my own.)
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