Via Litteraria

Abstract

It will be argued that the Word became incarnate in the world to lead us back to God the Creator, and this exitus and reditus is given and received in human language. In like manner, the words of great literature can direct our attention and reinvigorate the modern cosmic imaginary with a Christian imagination, instructing the reader to engage in a dive into the particulars of his or her concrete life. In mining those details, s/he can attain insights. We will call this trek of inquiry a via litteraria — connecting our lives with the life of God, by way of literature. To that end we will focus on the work of the American Christian writer of fiction and essays, Marilynne Robinson, who is a prime example of this via litteraria.