Brian FitzGerald (Medieval Studies)
First-Year Seminar 53G | 4 Credits (Fall 2024) | CANVAS SITE
Wednesday, 12:45 PM – 2:45 PM
Some of the most important questions of human existence have emerged out of moments of spiritual crisis: What purpose does suffering have? How does one find meaning in life? What if God or the divine is silent, absent, or uncaring?Literature and the arts have proven to be especially fruitful areas for people not only to explore these questions but also to offer ways of finding consolation in the midst of crisis. In this course we will study a wide range of representations of spiritual crisis and consolation from ancient times up to the present, including authors such as Euripides, Boethius, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Annie Dillard, and Shusako Endo. We will consider how personal convictions and religious belief, including indifference and uncertainty, shape characters responses to crises. In the process we will reflect on the possibilities and the limits of language and artistic expression both to give voice to the depths of spiritual crisis and to imagine the possibilities for consolation.