Saturday, May 10, 2008

Any Way Saturday
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What happened to popular Catholic fiction?
by Todd M Aglialoro
published on InsideCatholic
4/25/08
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As an editor for a Catholic publishing company, I see hundreds of manuscripts and proposals every year. Many of these are for works of fiction.

For a long time we rejected these as a matter of habit. "We can't sell fiction," was the conventional wisdom. "The market doesn't want it."
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It was a tough point to ponder. There's no question that Catholic fiction these days is pretty slim pickin's. Those of us yearning for novels with Catholic themes, supported by a Catholic moral universe, are generally forced to go back fifty years, to Waugh or Greene or O'Connor.
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It's also evident that Protestants have it all over us in this department. Evangelicalism offers a selection of music, TV, film, and yes, books that gives a pretty fair imitation of the kind of self-contained religious counterculture that Catholicism was once noted for.
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Now, what happened to Catholic fiction, and how do we effect its renewal?
[read entire article here]
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Readers have left 96 comments.
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Be sure to read through comments. Some are written by Catholic writers with varied and interesting points to make.
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Patriarch: Modernity Demands Christian Unity
5/9/2008

Zenit News Agency (www.zenit.org)

"Faithful to the holy Church fathers and their legacy, we shall place greater importance on that which unites us,"
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ROME, (Zenit.org) - The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Catholic Church have a duty to be ever more united in their defense of human rights, said Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians.
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"Faithful to the holy Church fathers and their legacy, despite our differences and unique characteristics, we shall place greater importance on that which unites us," he said.
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The Armenian patriarch said that in a globalized world with its political, social and economic challenges, "the greater consolidation of diligent efforts and partnership are an imperative for Christian Churches.
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Christianity in Armenia traces its roots back to the preaching of the Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus. [read entire article here]
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Methodists Vote To Retain Policies on Homosexuality
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T
he United Methodist Church held to its traditional rules on homosexuality Wednesday (April 30), refusing to support or celebrate same-sex unions and maintaining language that calls homosexual activity "incompatible with Christian teaching."

While many Methodists gathered here acknowledged sharp disagreement within their church on sexuality and biblical interpretation, delegates voted down efforts that would reflect that division in church rules or social policies.

A measure to remove the "incompatible" phrase and replace it with a mandate to "refrain from judgment regarding homosexual persons and practices as the Spirit leads us to new insight" was defeated 517 to 416.

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Many Methodists rose to speak in favor of a clear continuation of traditional teachings, especially for the purpose of evangelizing to a world that they said is beset by moral confusion.
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Delegates also refused to commit to support civil unions in wider society.
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"Sanctioning homosexual unions would give the church's approval to homosexual behavior and relationships, which would be inconsistent" with church teaching. [read entire article here]
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1 comment:

Melody K said...

The Catholic fiction post is interesting. I didn't have time to go through and read all 96 comments; but kind of agreed with some of them that good fiction is good fiction, whether religious or not. Also agreed with one that said she wouldn't be interested in a Catholic version of the Christian trade paperbacks in which the characters go to Mass instead of Bible study club. A good writer should be able to make his or her spiritual truth part of the story without beating the reader over the head with a "lesson".