Faculty Summer Seminar Explores 'Gracious Catastrophes' with Michael Murphy

The 26th annual Faculty Summer Seminar, "Gracious Catastrophes: Contemporary Representations of Mystery and Mercy in the Catholic Literary Imagination," was held from May 22-23 in the University Center Chancellor’s Suite. Sponsored by the Center for Catholic Studies, the Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership, and the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture, the two-day seminar focused on the nature of a "Catholic imagination" as a theoretical and creative lens, an exercise in cultural production, and a theological way of knowing.

The seminar was facilitated by Michael Murphy, Ph.D., distinguished professor, author, and Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University of Chicago. Through presentations, guided discussion questions, and breakout sessions, Murphy led participants to reflect on what it means to call a work of art "Catholic," and what hallmarks of a Catholic Imagination serve to convey or reveal complex realities of the human experience, such as grace, wonder, suffering, and forgiveness.

Nancy Enright, Ph.D., Director of the University Core and professor of English, shared her experience and takeaways: "The Seminar for Faculty led by Michael Murphy, Ph.D., was wonderfully enriching to me as an English professor and Director of the University Core, as the Catholic Imagination, the subject of the seminar, is at the root of so many of the texts we teach in both English and the Core. A key theme of the seminar was how art and literature convey spiritual truth and how the light of Christ often appears through brokenness. This theme was conveyed in the opening song by Leonard Cohen, "Anthem," which speaks about how light comes through the broken places in our lives."

"Mike also spoke about the Japanese artform called kintsugi, where broken pottery is made even more beautiful through repairs done with beautiful materials, like gold, silver, or red paint. Other examples include Caravaggio’s "The Incredulity of St. Thomas," where the transformed wounds of the risen Christ confirm the resurrection to the doubting apostle, an image Mike showed in the talk. Overall, the theme of the "gracious catastrophe" where brokenness is transformed into an agent of grace, was pervasive throughout the seminar. For me, the concept links deeply with that of "eucatastrophe," or "good catastrophe," central to the thought and work of J. R. R. Tolkien and of which, he has said, the life, death, and resurrection of Christ is the primary example. Overall, the seminar was inspiring and enriching."

These themes surrounding "gracious catastrophe" were explored in particular through three short stories: "The Expert on God" by John L'Heureux; "Ordinary Sins" by Kirsten Valdez Quade, and "A Temple of the Holy Ghost" by Flannery O'Connor. Additional excerpts of poetry and film were woven into each day’s session, including works by Gerard Manley Hopkins, Denise Levertov, and Mary Karr. The balance of classic and contemporary art and literature emphasized how the Catholic Imagination transcends ecclesial or traditional forms of expression. It demands a perceptive attentiveness to reality in all its reversals of expectation, and it helps us to cultivate a sacramental worldview by which we encounter God’s presence through the embodied and corporeal.

Patrick Manning, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Catholic Studies, said, "At the end of the academic year, it is always a joy to bring faculty together to reflect deeply on matters of importance. Mike Murphy helped us to do just that, immersing us in the Catholic imagination as conjured by Flannery O'Connor, John L'Heureux, and other literary luminaries. The faculty present expressed delight at the opportunity to stretch their imaginations and muse upon the sometimes paradoxical ways in which grace touches our lives."

Mary Ellen Roberts, associate professor and Nursing Department Chair, shared, "I always look forward to the Faculty Summer Seminar every spring. It comes at a time when we are all stressed from a long semester. This seminar gives us time to reflect, while relaxing. This year the emphasis on poetry and beauty was particularly helpful. It brought our Catholic identity into perspective through creativity."

All faculty who attended are eligible to receive a stipend upon submission of a scholarly article engaging the topic of the Catholic imagination from their respective academic disciplines. Post-seminar, the Center anticipates a thoughtful continuation of dialogue, and looks forward to providing further opportunities for faculty reflection and engagement during the upcoming summer faculty retreat, taking place from June 4-5 at the Loyola Retreat Center in Morristown, NJ.

Categories: Faith and Service