FAIRFIELD, Conn.— The Center for Catholic Thought, Ethics and Culture (CCTEC) of Sacred Heart University proudly welcomes Paul Elie to the Fairfield campus on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7 PM in the University Commons. Elie will discuss his book and experiences as an American Catholic in the literary field. He is an editor at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux publishing company, has written for many publications on Catholic issues, and appeared in broadcast media during coverage of the search for Pope Benedict XVI.
Elie brings to life four of the nation's most influential Catholic writers of the 20th Century, whose collective writings attempted to steer a changing culture through its post-modern crisis of morality. Elie's first book, The life you save may be your own: An American pilgrimage, has won wide critical acclaim in both Christian and secular circles, winning the Christopher Award and garnering “Best Book” status from the Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle. Inside, Elie's book presents biographies of Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, Walker Percy, and O'Connor as it documents how each of them influenced American culture through demonstrations of faith in the public sphere.
“There will be a course in the spring that will teach, among other things, Walker Percy and Flannery O'Connor,” noted Assistant Prof. June-Ann Greeley. “Elie talks not so much about interpretations of their work, but more about their lives as Catholics and how that was expressed in literature, activism, cultural connections, and things like that.”
This event is part of CCTEC's ongoing series of public discussions, entitled “Catholics in America.”
“CCTEC is our umbrella group that addresses the issue of bringing the Catholic intellectual tradition both into the classroom and discourse here at Sacred Heart University and as outreach to the community at large,” said Greeley. “We welcome people from the community and the diocese to attend CCTEC events. We want to really look at a discussion of the lay Catholic tradition, the Catholic intellectual tradition, and how we at Sacred Heart University as a lay-led institution can bring that forward into public conversation. So we try to find people who are a little bit more provocative and interesting and fun.”
A book sale will take place after the discussion for anyone interested in purchasing The life you save may be your own: An American pilgrimage. For more information about the Center for Catholic Thought, Ethics and Culture please contact Assistant Prof. June-Ann Greeley at 203-371-7713.
Previous Page
Back to October 2005
Next Page