On July 28th, I had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at Saints & Scholars. This Lilly Endowed program brings high school students together from around the country to “think deeply about how…faith relates to big questions facing our world.”

I was asked to speak on the importance of literature for Christian faith and how that might change the world. While the Catholic tradition boasts some great writers, Christians as a whole do not typically think of novel-reading or TV-watching as a particularly productive and worthwhile use of one’s time. But, taking a closer look at the interaction between Jesus and a Lawyer—an interaction that leads Jesus to tell the story of the Good Samaritan—suggests that stories are actually essential to the work of redemption and re-creation that God is bringing about in the world.

To read a shortened version of the keynote, check out my recent post: Making Old Truths New: Jesus and the Transgressive New Story

grace & peace,

Holy Cross College

Follow me @

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This