Catholic University of America Press Between Human and Divine: The Catholic Vision in Contemporary Literature

From publisher lists to bestseller lists, Catholic literature is thriving today. ""Between Human and Divine"" is the first collection of scholarly essays published on a wide variety of contemporary (post 1980) Catholic literary works and artists. Its aim is to introduce readers to recent and emerging writers and texts in the tradition. Each of the fifteen essays presents an informative critical perspective on a given work or works, and each addresses the questions: What, specifically, makes this a work of Catholic literature? How does it both fit into and help shape the Catholic literary tradition? In the broad and diverse range of works represented in this book, readers will find a veritable treasure trove of contemporary Catholic writing. Genres covered include fiction, poetry, and literary non-fiction, and authors include those from the United States, England, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Australia, and Japan. This collection will appeal not only to literary scholars but to all readers interested in the intersection of religion and literature in general and in Catholic literature in particular. ""Between Human and Divine"" furthers the study of the fascinating ways that religion, culture, social change, and tradition are shaped by the imaginative process. It also contributes to scholarship in the area by extending the parameters of the Catholic literary tradition into the present, demonstrating that such literature is flourishing today even if its subject matter, thematic concerns, and writing techniques show new and intriguing shifts in direction. This is an introduction to recent and emerging Catholic literary works and artists.