Memoir, biography, and even confession: when we tell our stories, just who do we hope is listening?
“We feel this impulsion to tell our story, to share our story, to bear witness to the mystery that is us, and to give it away. And that itself is a deeply risky venture, because it makes us so vulnerable.”
What are we doing when we tell the stories of our lives?
In this Life & Faith, Simon Smart and Justine Toh explore memoir, biography, and the desire to explain ourselves to others.
Simon also talks to James K. A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the author of On the road with St Augustine: A real world spirituality for restless hearts.
Yes, Augustine. According to Smith, regardless of what you think about God, you tread in the footsteps of the fourth-century bishop whenever you tell the story of your life. Augustine’s Confessions - part spiritual autobiography, part memoir, part prayer to God - looms over the genre of memoir today.
--
Read:
James K. A. Smith’s On the road with St Augustine: A real world spirituality for restless hearts
Anna McGahan’s Metanoia: A memoir of a body, born again
Lisa Taddeo’s Three women and Justine Toh’s article on ABC Religion & Ethics
C.S. Lewis’ Till we have faces
Brian Rosner’s Known by God: A biblical theology of personal identity, and revisit our Life & Faith interview about the book
Watch:The Good Place on Netflix, or sample the episode we discuss in this episode here
Guess Who’s Not Coming To Dinner
Gloves Off
Life Is But A Breath
An Astronomer’s Guide to the Galaxy
Jesus, Outside the Box
A Great Spirit
State of the Nation
In The Name Of Christ
In Sickness and in Health
REBROADCAST: The Long Shadow of Slavery
Belfast Cabbie
Dominus Illuminatio Mea
Hope is Violent
Mary of Magdala
Grain of Sand
Three Women
You Do You
REBROADCAST: The Ring of Truth
22 Million
Not Just A Game
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Tangent on Veritas Catholic Network
Life After Ministry
Devoted To Prayer
The Bible Recap
BardsFM