Berkley Center

This curricular module guide explores the expression of Catholic identity and ideas in contemporary literature, highlighting how faith has shaped much of modern American culture. The guide expands on the "Catholic Faith in Contemporary Literature" virtual course module by assembling open-access sources and providing discussion questions on Catholic faith in the writings of Flannery O’Connor, Alice McDermott, and Toni Morrison. 

These materials are designed to engage students with the following issues:

• the state of contemporary Catholic fiction 
• the comparative ways in which authors represent their faith in fiction
• approaches to realism in fiction, particularly in regard to religion 
• the influence of Catholicism on authors' writings, including the Catholic resources they may draw upon

This guide is part of the Berkley Center's Religion and World Affairs Virtual Course Modules, a collection of curricular modules that draws on open-access articles and multimedia sources to support online learning in higher education.