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
I Don’t Judge Anyone (Except Christians)
REBROADCAST: Music and the Mind
Not an Inspiration
REBROADCAST: Good Grief
The Good Book?
REBROADCAST: Exceptional
Free Like A Bird
The Permanent Resident
REBROADCAST: Identity Complex
A White Man’s World
No Angel
How Grand to Be A Toucan
The Ring of Truth
An Empty Plate
The Missing Theology of Art
Not in Polite Company
The Cost of Sacrifice
A History of Non-violence
A Public Book
Son of a Communist
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Tangent on Veritas Catholic Network
Life After Ministry
Devoted To Prayer
The Bible Recap
BardsFM