Is Catholic literature in decline?

In a December 2013 article in First Things, the poet Dana Gioia wrote,

“...although Roman Catholicism constitutes the largest religious and cultural group in the United States, Catholicism currently enjoys almost no positive presence in the American fine arts—not in literature, music, sculpture, or painting. This situation not only represents a demographic paradox. It also marks a major historical change—an impoverishment, indeed even a disfigurement—for Catholicism, which has for two millennia played a hugely formative and inspirational role in the arts.”

Gioia’s article struck a chord with readers, although not always one in universal agreement. Gregory Wolfe, also writing in First Things, offered this response:

“...here’s my counter-thesis: The loss of a Catholic presence in mainstream literary culture is not because we are suffering from a dearth of gifted Catholic writers but because ideological blinders have prevented religious and secular people alike from perceiving and engaging the work that is out there.

In other words, we suffer from a type of spiritual and cultural anorexia: What would feed and nourish us is before us, but we will not eat.”

This exchange sums up the genesis of our event this week, On the Making of Books: Crafting Catholic Literature for the 21st Century. 

Is Catholic literature really in decline, or are we so focused on the mid-20th century golden age of Catholic fiction that we can’t see the forest for the trees?

Our panel of authors and editors will be grappling with that question, providing (spoiler alert!) some surprising news about the state of Catholic writing today.

Register for the event and you’ll learn more about:

• What Catholic literature is being written today

• How large the talent pool is

• Where these authors finding a home for their work

• What themes are being explored

There’s no doubt that Catholic literature was mainstream literature from the 1930s through the 1960s. Many much loved authors, from JRR Tolkien to Flannery O’Connor, produced work that resonated on both a popular and literary level. However, their work reflected the age and the places they lived in. The questions they tackled were as big as a world war and as deep as the segregated South. Should we really expect, or even want, the same kind of literature from today’s Catholic authors?

Make sure you join us April 29th at 7:00 pm to find out. Register now and we’ll see you online this Thursday.

Note: This event is proudly co-presented by the Collegium Institute, and co-sponsored by the Corpus Christi Foundation, Ignatius Press, Dappled Things, Wiseblood Books, Chrism Press, WhiteFire Publishing, Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture, St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at Kansas University, Harvard Catholic Forum, MFA at University of St. Thomas at Houston.

Catholic Connections at Hope: A Video from Campus Admissions

Choosing a college is a huge decision for parents and students alike. It’s not just about academics. It’s about finding a place that helps students grow holistically- in mind, body, and soul.

In this video, produced by the Hope College Admissions Office, admissions rep Carrie Olesh interviews two students along with Professor Jared Ortiz and Father Nick Monco, to help prospective families learn more about the Catholic community on campus.

Please share this video with any of your friends and family members who are discerning their future college plans. The Saint Benedict Institute and Hope College community would love to welcome new students to our family!

Father Nick Monco shares a bit about the ministry side of the Saint Benedict Institute’s service to students at Hope College.

Lenten Meditation Series Available to Watch On Demand

Father Nick Monco delivered the first in our series of Lenten meditations on February 16, 2021.

How has your Lent been going?

If you need a boost, we’re pleased to have all four sessions of our “In the Desert with Christ” Lenten series now posted to view at your convenience!

We began the series with our campus chaplain, Father Nick Monco. Father Nick took us through the realities of spiritual warfare - a most apropos meditation for the beginning of Lent.

Next, Professor Kevin Kambo joined us, leading us in a discussion on prayer: what it is, why we do it, and how to pray. Looking to the saints and Church teaching, we explored ways to pray, great and small.

Our campus minister Carly McShane led the third installment in our series. Tackling fasting and alms, Carly showed us the beauty of these sacrifices and how they elevate our prayer life, bringing us ever closer to the Lord.

Finally, Saint Benedict Institute co-founder Jack Mulder closed out our series with an exploration on suffering. What does it mean when our Lord himself suffers in agony? How can we understand suffering and join ours to his?

If you missed the series, want to share with friends, or simply want to watch again, check out our YouTube channel to view each session in its entirety.

In the Desert with Christ: Lent 2021

This Lent, we are pleased to present a series of virtual meditations to help our students and supporters enter more deeply into this sacred season. All are welcome to join!

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After Christ is baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descends upon him in the form of a dove and God says, "This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17). Immediately afterward, this same Spirit leads Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Join us for four Lenten meditations that will help us to go into the desert with Jesus, to fast and pray and to confront our demons, armed with the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

Each virtual event takes place at 7:00 p.m. EST

February 16: Preparing for Battle: The Basics of Spiritual Warfare with Father Nick Monco
At the heart of Christian life is friendship with Jesus Christ. The lived reality of a Christian in this world is that there are forces, internal and external, working against that loving relationship. Fr. Nick Monco will name those forces and discuss how fighting against them brings us closer to God.

February 23: Teach Us How to Pray: Prayer for Beginners with Kevin Kambo
What is prayer? Why do we pray? How do we pray? Looking to Christ, his saints, and the liturgy of the Church, we shall explore answers to these questions, and find in them sure guides and support for the soul's pilgrimage to God.

March 2: The Wings of Prayer: Fasting and Giving with Carly McShane
Two years ago, in his Ash Wednesday homily Pope Francis said, "Lent is a time of grace that liberates the heart from vanity...It is a time of healing from addictions that seduce us. It is a time to fix our gaze on what abides." In this reflection we will examine how the practices of fasting and almsgiving build in us a greater freedom, help us to return to the Lord, and to be open to His love and mercy.

March 9: The Power of Lament: The Sorrowful Mysteries with Jack Mulder
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are all redemptive, but there is something special about his suffering. What is it? How can we join our suffering with his? How can the Lord of heaven and earth be in agony and what does it mean for us? We'll spend some time meditating on these questions and pray a bit of the Sorrowful Mysteries.

Registration is now open for these events. Sign up here.

Interested in more Saint Benedict Institute events? Visit our Calendar to view and register for other virtual lectures.

Essays That Enrich the Whole Body of Christ

Essays That Enrich the Whole Body of Christ

by Jared Ortiz, co-founder
Saint Benedict Institute

When we founded the Saint Benedict Institute seven years ago, we were overwhelmed by the generous welcome we received from our Protestant Christian friends at Hope College. These faithful and committed Protestants went out of their way to make room for Catholics and a Catholic institute.  They were ecumenical in the truest sense: they shared their gifts with us, they allowed us to share our gifts with them, and they moved us all one step closer to Christian unity.

Ecumenism has been an essential part of the Saint Benedict Institute from the beginning.  So, when I had the opportunity to edit a collection of essays on the meaning of salvation from different Christian perspectives, I did not hesitate. And after several years of research and editing the work of top scholars (and with the help of some of our Catholic students!), I am proud to finally see published With All the Fullness of God: Deification in Christian Tradition (Lexington/Fortress Academic, 2021).  

This book contains eleven essays from diverse Christian perspectives—Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anabaptist, Anglican,  Baptist,  and  Wesleyan—on the ancient Christian vision of salvation called “deification.” This funny and strange word is, we maintain, a deeply biblical and deeply Christian vision of salvation. It is a vision that takes seriously the Bible’s claim that we become sons and daughters of God.  It is a vision that takes seriously St. Paul’s prayer “that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).   

God made us so that we cannot find peace in anything but himself.  We are restless until we rest in him. God made us for communion with him.  This communion with God makes us (as St. Peter says) “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).  And this communion transforms us. It gives us a new source of life beyond our human life.  It gives us God’s very own life in us. This may sound too exalted a destiny, and it is!  That is why the title of the last essay in the book is: “More Than You Could Ever Imagine.”

I particularly love the cover of this book.  The image comes from a beautiful Ethiopian Orthodox icon painted by a former Hope College student.  It hangs in one of our campus buildings.  I love the vibrant colors, the unity of the apostles with Mary, and the divine flames “filling them with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4). I also love how their feet are firmly planted on the earth, but how they seem to rise to heaven and are collectively illuminated by a divine light.  This striking Orthodox icon that hangs at a Protestant college is a perfect image for our ecumenical book!

I know I edited this volume but let me brag on my fellow contributors: this is rich collection of essays! There are so many surprising points of convergence in our different traditions.  And each tradition contains treasures that enrich the whole Body of Christ. I hope that people will feast on these essays and learn about the best-kept secret of our faith: God shares in our humanity so that we could share in his divinity. 

Note: The publisher is offering a 30% discount by ordering from them directly. Use code LEX30AUTH21 when ordering.

Related Reading: Turning Worshipers Into Gods: Liturgy and Salvation in the Early Church

February (Virtual) Events - Don't Miss Out!

We’re pleased to co-sponsor two excellent events in February, free and open to the public.

Along with the Lumen Christi Institute and the Harvard Catholic Forum, we invite you to register to attend:

Humanism as an Educational Ideal (February 6 @ 4:00 p.m. ET)

and

Pledges of the Saints: The Cult of Relics in the Catholic Tradition (February 13 @ 11:00 a.m. ET)

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John W. O’Malley, S.J. is University Professor Emeritus of Theology at Georgetown University. In this presentation, he will discuss humanism by examining the courses of study that came to characterize it, how humanism has developed and adapted over time, and what may be its prospects in the future. More information and registration here.

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Patrick Geary is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the Institute for Advanced Study. In this presentation, Professor Geary will discuss the origin of the cult of relics, the tombs of saints, and how the veneration of saints led to the dismemberment of saints’ bodies and the distribution of relics. Other topics covered will include relics’ authenticity, the control and regulation of relics, and the competition that relics have received from other types of sacred or sanctified objects. More information and registration here.

Fellowship, Prayer, and Sacrifice: Exodus 90

Start Date: February 17, 2021 (Registration closes February 14)

End Date: May 1, 2021

The Exodus 90 program is built on the pillars of fellowship, prayer, and sacrifice.  This demanding program is for those who are looking to:

• seriously live their faith

• encounter Christ in a new way

• overcome sinful habits 

Making room for Christ requires spiritual housecleaning. Please note that by registering for this program, you are committing to:

• a weekly group meeting

• daily accountability

• at least 20 minutes of daily prayer

• a regimen of ascetic practices

This isn’t an easy program, but for those who commit to its rigors and engage wholeheartedly, know that Jesus will not be outdone in generosity. Anyone is welcome to participate!

How To Register:

1. Watch the intro video below and read the list of the Exodus 90 sacrifices. 

2. Fill out the registration form below. REGISTRATION CLOSES FEBRUARY 14.

3. Sign up for a group.

4. Email exodus90@hope.edu if you have any questions.

This short video gives a basic introduction to Exodus 90.

“praying hands on black background” photo by Myriam Zilles on Unsplash

Schoon Chapel Update

Although onsite renovation isn’t slated to begin until the coming summer, some off-site woodwork will begin in the coming months. Additionally, our iconographer continues preparing her masterpieces to adorn the walls of the chapel next Fall. In the meantime, we asked some of our students to share their thoughts about the chapel.

What does the chapel on campus mean to you?

To me, our chapel is a place of rest unlike any other place on campus. At Hope, my semesters have always been busy and at times overwhelming. At chapel, I find myself putting aside the to-do list and I can just spend time resting with the Lord for as long as I need. Even if there are people in the chapel at the same time, I am able to feel alone with the Lord and can talk to Him about my day, joyful events, or struggles. Not many places on campus allow me to have this time and peace. I am thankful for this restful place.
-Kimberly Paquette (Senior)

What are your expectations for the chapel renovation next summer?

I'm hopeful that the renovation will make the chapel even more well-suited for the needs of the Catholic Mass and community. As Mass attendance increases, there's a need for more seating. The table that serves as an altar could be replaced with something more solid and appropriate; the crucifix -- currently a Protestant wooden cross with a corpus stuck to it -- could be replaced with a true crucifix. The carpeted floor could be replaced with something that is safer in case the Holy Eucharist were to fall. The current redecoration is superficial, but the renovation can address the deeper incompatibilities.
-Emily Downs (Alumnus)

A Conversation with Board Member Phil Sotok

A native of Holland, Michigan, Phil Sotok graduated from Hope College in 1992. He is founder and CEO of VentureSource, a supplier to the automotive industry. He has served on Saint Benedict Institute’s board for four years.

How did you get involved with Saint Benedict Institute (SBI)?

I joined the board after a conversation with co-founder Jared Ortiz and Brian Piecuch. I was intrigued because when I attended Hope, there was nothing remotely close to what they described. I don’t know how my formation as a Catholic would have further developed if something like SBI had existed at Hope when I was there. Hope was great, but it really didn’t form me in the ways that I wanted and needed to be formed.

Why is Saint Benedict Institute needed?

The bridge between the Christian Reformed tradition and the Catholic Tradition should be and needs to be explored more deeply. There is so much synergy and consistency between our faiths, but we tend to talk about the differences. At the end of the day, I don’t believe that’s very helpful. I think SBI has bridged that gap. By being physically located at Hope College, those important conversations can happen. Without those conversations, you become a bit insular. You end up talking to yourself about your own beliefs and surrounding yourself with people who believe the same things. There is a huge advantage and benefit to having SBI located at Hope and being able to influence the school in a positive way.

How have you been blessed by the people involved with Saint Benedict Institute?

Recently, there was a time I struggled to understand what was going on in the Catholic Church. I was able to sit down with Jared and gain his perspective, learning how he has struggled with, and thought through, various current issues. It was very reassuring. Even more so because I know that young students who may have mini crises of their own can talk with people like Jared and Fr. Nick in a very thoughtful, heartfelt, and pragmatic way. That’s so important for students who are entering adulthood and need mentors they can trust.

An Interview with Educator & Scholar Zena Hitz

On November 10, Saint Benedict Institute co-founder Jared Ortiz was invited to interview educator and scholar Zena Hitz, author of Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life (Princeton University Press, 2020). This event was presented by the Lumen Christi Institute at the University of Chicago. The following excerpt has been lightly edited for clarity. Watch the full, archived interview here: https://youtu.be/7iVhIlDkrVI.

Jared Ortiz: Let’s start with the prologue you wrote with the delightful title, “How Washing Dishes Restored My Intellectual Life.” Classically, servile labor is always contrasted with the intellectual life. Even today, we often see this as a hindrance or a distraction from our real work. So start us off by telling us how washing dishes restored your intellectual life.

Zena Hitz: As far as washing dishes and intellectual life, I think it’s helpful to first recognize that our culture disassociates our work from the obvious human good that it is meant to produce. You can work away at something without really knowing why it matters.

I went to a wonderful liberal arts college, St. John’s, where I teach now, which matured my intellectual interest. I learned how to sit with a difficult text or a difficult question and work through it. Then I went to graduate school because I was in love with learning and I wanted to do more of it. I became a professional academic scholar in classical philosophy. But I got sucked into the prestige and status game that happens in various parts of academia. I lost touch with what I was doing. I didn’t like factory style teaching in large classrooms. I had to reduce the books we were reading to bullet points and evaluate how well they were absorbed. Many of my students were there to fill a requirement and never caught the bug. It felt mechanical. So I quit.

I went and lived in a religious community in Canada for a time and it was very focused on manual labor and poverty. It was there that I lived a very full human life and had everything I could ever want except for an intellectual life at the level of intensity I was accustomed to. I had to think hard about why it [the intellectual life] mattered, why it mattered for me and why it might matter for the kinds of people I was around who were from all walks of life, all levels of interest. The book came out of that experience from living in a very basic way and having a chance to think about why the intellectual life mattered.

The Return of Courtship, Marriage, and Sex

Rhonda and Jared Ortiz co-hosted this online event with Jack and Melissa Mulder.

In today’s society, there is very little instruction about how to navigate the world of love and romance. For this reason, we decided to bring back our series, “Courtship, Marriage, and Sex.”

This year, the two-week seminar took place on Zoom. Jared and Rhonda Ortiz led the first seminar on courtship. Jack and Melissa Mulder led the second seminar on marriage and sex. We interviewed both couples:

What is the current dating culture like at Hope College?

Ortizes: At Hope, there is a gender imbalance where women significantly outnumber men. Also, there are many factors working against a healthy dating culture: lack of wholesome examples, delayed maturity, exposure to pornography, fear of failure and of commitment, rising passivity among men, and so on. Young people have never been taught how to think about romance, how to navigate their emotions and sexual desires, or how to find and win the right one.

Mulders: Even ignoring the situation with the pandemic, to a large extent dating seems almost nonexistent. The idea that someone would get together with one person he or she was romantically interested in, rather than a group of friends, seems difficult to imagine for a lot of people.

Why is it important to talk about courting/marriage?

Ortizes: Short of following Jesus, choosing a husband or wife is the most important decision you're ever going to make, and courtship helps you make it. Also, so many students have not witnessed solid, faithful marriages. Showing that you can make a good choice and still love (and like!) each other for 20 years is extremely important.

Mulders: Courtship sounds a bit antiquated, but it holds principles that can teach young people how to find someone and be with them in such a way that they establish a strong foundation for a lasting marriage.

If you could leave students with one piece of relationship advice, what would it be?

Ortizes: Don't sit on the couch! That is the most practical one for maintaining a chaste courtship and discerning the character of the other person. But more than this, young people should speak honestly about important things. They should get on the same page early about proper boundaries, what they want from the relationship (discerning marriage), and what they think about the most important things (God, children, parents, etc.).

Mulders: Communicate openly with your significant other. Don't assume that they magically understand your expectations or share your values. If you're able to establish a solid relationship by hashing out the tough stuff everything else will be easier. Other than that...take long walks, develop interests together, help each other with one another’s burdens, big or small.

Hope Students Featured in Faith Grand Rapids December Issue

“I feel very close to Jesus, a closeness I didn’t feel when I entered college,” begins Caryn Dannah, a junior at Hope College who is involved in Saint Benedict Institute and the Hope Catholics student group.

Caryn and fellow classmate Jacob Kelley, a senior at Hope College, were recently featured in Faith Grand Rapids, the official magazine of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. In their interviews, each mentioned how important it was having a strong Catholic community to support them in their faith journeys.

“I had never truly had a Catholic community of peers, and I didn’t realize how desperately I wanted and needed such a community until I finally found one. The people in this community have deepened my faith in ways I could never have imagined…” Jacob said.

To read both interviews, download the PDF excerpt or view the article in the December 2020 issue at the Diocese of Grand Rapids website.  

Shared with permission from the Diocese of Grand Rapids.