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The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints
How do we become better people? Initiatives such as New Year's resolutions, vision boards, thirty-day plans, and self-help books often fail to compel us to live differently. We settle for small goals--frugal spending, less yelling at the kids, more time at the gym--but we are called to something far greater. We are created to be holy.
Award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson explains that learning to hear the call of holiness requires cultivating a new imagination--one rooted in the act of reading. Learning to read with eyes attuned to the saints who populate great works of literature moves us toward holiness, where God opens up a way of living that extends far beyond what we can conjure for ourselves. Literature has the power to show us what a holy life looks like, and these depictions often scandalize even as they shape our imagination. As such, careful reading becomes a sort of countercultural spiritual discipline.
The book includes devotionals, prayers, wisdom from the saints, and more to help individuals and groups cultivate a saintly imagination. Foreword by Lauren F. Winner.
Award-winning author Jessica Hooten Wilson explains that learning to hear the call of holiness requires cultivating a new imagination--one rooted in the act of reading. Learning to read with eyes attuned to the saints who populate great works of literature moves us toward holiness, where God opens up a way of living that extends far beyond what we can conjure for ourselves. Literature has the power to show us what a holy life looks like, and these depictions often scandalize even as they shape our imagination. As such, careful reading becomes a sort of countercultural spiritual discipline.
The book includes devotionals, prayers, wisdom from the saints, and more to help individuals and groups cultivate a saintly imagination. Foreword by Lauren F. Winner.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published March 29, 2022
72 people are currently reading
2260 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Hooten Wilson
13 books143 followersJessica Hooten Wilson (PhD, Baylor University) is the inaugural Visiting Scholar of Liberal Arts at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She previously taught at the University of Dallas. She is the author or editor of eight books, including Reading for the Love of God, The Scandal of Holiness (winner of a Christianity Today 2023 Award of Merit), and Giving the Devil His Due: Demonic Authority in the Fiction of Flannery O'Connor and Fyodor Dostoevsky (winner of a 2018 Christianity Today Book of the Year Award). Wilson speaks around the world on topics as varied as Russian novelists, Catholic thinkers, and Christian ways of reading.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
March 2, 2022
I love the idea of this book, but in practice found it frequently over my head. If you love thinking deeply about literature and faith, then this book is worth your time. Take my criticism of the book with a heavy grain of salt. It is likely that I simply didn't "get it," or was out of my depth academically.
The primary idea is that we can learn more about holiness by reading about Christians in literature. These depictions of saints can improve our imaginations and give us new ideas and ways of thinking about the Christian life. This description is what drew me to the book.
Each chapter focuses on an idea (Holy Foolishness, death, suffering, liberation, motherhood, etc) and one primary novel. The novels are then summarized in great detail. This was helpful since every story was unfamiliar to me personally, but they seemed to drag on.
The book will certainly stretch your imagination of what holiness can look like. The stories are chosen strategically and all follow rather unconventional saints. I left each chapter behind thinking more deeply about not just the subject, but the books mentioned as well.
The chapters all have a quote, devotional thought, questions, and more suggested reading. I typically skim past these, but these were profound and helpful.
This is a book that demands to be read slowly. It would even be enriched by reading the books mentioned in between each chapter. I found myself reading this book much slower than I would read normally and still struggled to follow along.
I would recommend this book for intermediate/serious readers. I like to think of myself as well-read, but I had never heard of most of the novels mentioned in the book.
If you are not well versed in more "serious" literary fiction, then I might recommend starting with Karen Swallow Prior's "On Reading Well" instead.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
The primary idea is that we can learn more about holiness by reading about Christians in literature. These depictions of saints can improve our imaginations and give us new ideas and ways of thinking about the Christian life. This description is what drew me to the book.
Each chapter focuses on an idea (Holy Foolishness, death, suffering, liberation, motherhood, etc) and one primary novel. The novels are then summarized in great detail. This was helpful since every story was unfamiliar to me personally, but they seemed to drag on.
The book will certainly stretch your imagination of what holiness can look like. The stories are chosen strategically and all follow rather unconventional saints. I left each chapter behind thinking more deeply about not just the subject, but the books mentioned as well.
The chapters all have a quote, devotional thought, questions, and more suggested reading. I typically skim past these, but these were profound and helpful.
This is a book that demands to be read slowly. It would even be enriched by reading the books mentioned in between each chapter. I found myself reading this book much slower than I would read normally and still struggled to follow along.
I would recommend this book for intermediate/serious readers. I like to think of myself as well-read, but I had never heard of most of the novels mentioned in the book.
If you are not well versed in more "serious" literary fiction, then I might recommend starting with Karen Swallow Prior's "On Reading Well" instead.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
August 21, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up. Books about books are always favorites of mine and this one was no exception. Wilson connected the journey of holiness and literature in an articulate, persuasive way. She showed readers how looking at books and their plots and characters through the lens of holiness can shape us and bring us closer to Christ. I didn't agree with all the conclusions she drew from certain literary works, but it was still a very thought-provoking book.
March 28, 2023
Hooten uses insights from literature to break through the false dichotomies offered by American church culture. Each chapter takes one on a journey through the life of a literary saint, while the book itself progresses in theme from birth through death. Just fantastic all around.
April 6, 2022
This book tied so many themes from her writing and talks together — in such a beautiful compilation. Jessica Hooten Wilson challenges us to the difficult and rewarding task of working the muscles of our imagination for the sake of being shaped into holiness. She wants to be a saint, and so should we.
Our imaginations, and therefore our lives, are shaped by the stories we take in. She shares several characters and authors whose novels SHOW us what the painful process of becoming holy can look like. She contrasts this with the didactic nature of non-fiction that TELLS us. That is a huge and helpful genre that definitely has its place, but so many of us are starving ourselves of soul-shaping literature with an out-of-whack balance in our book diet.
I've been personally challenged to read MORE stories (not always reading to take in information or learn, but to dwell with characters). And more GOOD stories (more hefty, difficult, and classic ones).
Many of the novels she goes through here I had either read, started, or have heard of and was reminded that they are all worth delving into — as I work through various books on my ever-growing list).
Though every theme and chapter is excellent, spurring us on to know and learn from its characters, one will stick with me most memorably (perhaps because I listened a second time by myself while driving up to the city): The Flannery O'Connor/Graham Greene chapter on suffering. I've been going through Flannery's stories lately and I know Jessica Hooten Wilson loves her a lot. The ways she drew out the necessary role of suffering in the life of anyone who will be refined into holiness was beautiful. We are either burned with the suffering and refining grace of Christ, or will be burned with a fire of our own making. It made me want to pray for it, which seems odd and difficult (as Flannery points out.) But over and over in life and in stories, we see there are never any saints among us who get to skip out on soul-shaping trials.
I'll be buying a copy of this book for myself, even if just to read that chapter again and again.
Our imaginations, and therefore our lives, are shaped by the stories we take in. She shares several characters and authors whose novels SHOW us what the painful process of becoming holy can look like. She contrasts this with the didactic nature of non-fiction that TELLS us. That is a huge and helpful genre that definitely has its place, but so many of us are starving ourselves of soul-shaping literature with an out-of-whack balance in our book diet.
I've been personally challenged to read MORE stories (not always reading to take in information or learn, but to dwell with characters). And more GOOD stories (more hefty, difficult, and classic ones).
Many of the novels she goes through here I had either read, started, or have heard of and was reminded that they are all worth delving into — as I work through various books on my ever-growing list).
Though every theme and chapter is excellent, spurring us on to know and learn from its characters, one will stick with me most memorably (perhaps because I listened a second time by myself while driving up to the city): The Flannery O'Connor/Graham Greene chapter on suffering. I've been going through Flannery's stories lately and I know Jessica Hooten Wilson loves her a lot. The ways she drew out the necessary role of suffering in the life of anyone who will be refined into holiness was beautiful. We are either burned with the suffering and refining grace of Christ, or will be burned with a fire of our own making. It made me want to pray for it, which seems odd and difficult (as Flannery points out.) But over and over in life and in stories, we see there are never any saints among us who get to skip out on soul-shaping trials.
I'll be buying a copy of this book for myself, even if just to read that chapter again and again.
December 13, 2021
Full review here: https://dearstrangethings.substack.co...
August 31, 2023
I recently finished reading The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literaty Saints written by Jessica Hooten Wilson. (Thanks, Fr. Seth!) A brilliantly written book with incredible insight not only into contemporary and ageless literature but the process of growing into an authentic relationship with God. A beautiful book with serious value.
August 2, 2024
The bits that were good were marvelously good. But the bits that weren’t (I.e., the woke virtue signaling) felt unnaturally forced and didn’t fit well with the great portions.
February 13, 2023
This book has a huge caveat that needs to be mentioned before I talk about what I loved in it. I think Wilson makes a mistake in her premise by confusing what *can* happen when we read with the *purpose* of reading. This book of primarily about holiness (surprise surprise) so in the books she writes about, she says the *reason* we read these books is to learn holiness from these characters — even the unlikely ones. I don’t think she is wrong that we *see* holiness in these places, and I don’t think she is wrong to point out the holiness maybe 21st century Christians miss in the unlikely places.
I do think we can learn from books, but when we make it the *reason* and the *purpose* for reading we shut ourselves off from all the other things happening when we read, and all the other books where maybe we cannot see those same examples. As Lewis says in Experiment in Criticism, we read stories because “my own eyes are not enough for me.”
To make learning a certain attribute or virtue the purpose of reading That Hideous Strength or The Brothers Karamazov is to cut ourselves off from everything else that is there.
If you think I am being picky or pedantic, you might enjoy this book anyways. If you agree with me, you will probably hate the introduction and preface but… I actually think the book is worth reading anyways. (*gasp*)
Wilson understands what it means to be holy, and what we often miss in our world that wants us to be comfortable and wants us to believe that we are responsible for defining our meaning and creating our happiness. Her chapters dealing with community, suffering, and death were especially meaningful and hard hitting for me:
“Whenever I read stories about saints such as Hildegard of Bingen or Teresa of Avila, I wonder whether it was easier to be holy if you didn’t have toddlers screaming at you. Then I remember: my children are my community. They are the family with whom I am pursuing holiness, as are my neighbors, my friends, my church, as well as the strangers with whom I daily interact.”
“The shortest sentence in scripture, “Jesus wept,” describes a mysterious moment when the God-man – who knows he is about to raise Lazarus from the dead – mourns with holy tears over the death of his friend. Jesus does not hurry to the grave to act, but he pauses purposefully in lamentation. He spends the time to grieve.”
This is a quote from Dorothy Day that she shares that I really appreciated. I have lots of memories of involuntary vigils with my first baby in the NICU and then after we brought him home – hours of rocking him and praying all through the night.
“Families with small children lead ascetic lives. There are vigils, involuntary ones, fasting – due to the nausea of pregnancy for instance – but St Angela of Foligno said that penances voluntarily undertaken are not half so meritorious as those imposed on us by the circumstances of our lives and cheerfully born.”
Dorothy Day
“I have a friend who often says, "I'm tired of being sanctified." She's referring to her task as homemaker, where, as Day describes it, motherhood "leaves her no time for thought of self, for consolation, for prayer, for reading, for what she might consider development.” Yet the world of a mother is much like the desert of a monk, where our senses are mortified by our surroundings – dirty diapers, oatmeal on the table, grapes squished beneath our feet, unflushed toilets, a husband's socks in every conceivable place – and our interior world is mortified by adapting our interests to our children. Day notes the joys but also the "thorns... of night watches, of illnesses, of infant perversities and contrariness. There are glimpses of heaven and hell." When we read novels like The Violent Bear It Away or The End of the Affair, we can reimagine our travails less as frustrations, inconveniences, or unnecessary hardships, and more as ascetic realities. Just as those characters become sanctified through their voluntary or involuntary denials, so we might see our pains as training grounds for the Lord's work in us.”
I generally dislike books that have a “devotional” section at the end – with the special prayers and discussion questions. This book has those and to be honest… I skipped them. I rarely think that are helpful and sometimes I think they can limit what we focus on in the book because we just look for the right answer to the question. So I did wish she had gone without those in here, but if you take my first caveat in mind… I really appreciated what she had to say about holiness. I will be thinking about this book for a long, long time.
I do think we can learn from books, but when we make it the *reason* and the *purpose* for reading we shut ourselves off from all the other things happening when we read, and all the other books where maybe we cannot see those same examples. As Lewis says in Experiment in Criticism, we read stories because “my own eyes are not enough for me.”
To make learning a certain attribute or virtue the purpose of reading That Hideous Strength or The Brothers Karamazov is to cut ourselves off from everything else that is there.
If you think I am being picky or pedantic, you might enjoy this book anyways. If you agree with me, you will probably hate the introduction and preface but… I actually think the book is worth reading anyways. (*gasp*)
Wilson understands what it means to be holy, and what we often miss in our world that wants us to be comfortable and wants us to believe that we are responsible for defining our meaning and creating our happiness. Her chapters dealing with community, suffering, and death were especially meaningful and hard hitting for me:
“Whenever I read stories about saints such as Hildegard of Bingen or Teresa of Avila, I wonder whether it was easier to be holy if you didn’t have toddlers screaming at you. Then I remember: my children are my community. They are the family with whom I am pursuing holiness, as are my neighbors, my friends, my church, as well as the strangers with whom I daily interact.”
“The shortest sentence in scripture, “Jesus wept,” describes a mysterious moment when the God-man – who knows he is about to raise Lazarus from the dead – mourns with holy tears over the death of his friend. Jesus does not hurry to the grave to act, but he pauses purposefully in lamentation. He spends the time to grieve.”
This is a quote from Dorothy Day that she shares that I really appreciated. I have lots of memories of involuntary vigils with my first baby in the NICU and then after we brought him home – hours of rocking him and praying all through the night.
“Families with small children lead ascetic lives. There are vigils, involuntary ones, fasting – due to the nausea of pregnancy for instance – but St Angela of Foligno said that penances voluntarily undertaken are not half so meritorious as those imposed on us by the circumstances of our lives and cheerfully born.”
Dorothy Day
“I have a friend who often says, "I'm tired of being sanctified." She's referring to her task as homemaker, where, as Day describes it, motherhood "leaves her no time for thought of self, for consolation, for prayer, for reading, for what she might consider development.” Yet the world of a mother is much like the desert of a monk, where our senses are mortified by our surroundings – dirty diapers, oatmeal on the table, grapes squished beneath our feet, unflushed toilets, a husband's socks in every conceivable place – and our interior world is mortified by adapting our interests to our children. Day notes the joys but also the "thorns... of night watches, of illnesses, of infant perversities and contrariness. There are glimpses of heaven and hell." When we read novels like The Violent Bear It Away or The End of the Affair, we can reimagine our travails less as frustrations, inconveniences, or unnecessary hardships, and more as ascetic realities. Just as those characters become sanctified through their voluntary or involuntary denials, so we might see our pains as training grounds for the Lord's work in us.”
I generally dislike books that have a “devotional” section at the end – with the special prayers and discussion questions. This book has those and to be honest… I skipped them. I rarely think that are helpful and sometimes I think they can limit what we focus on in the book because we just look for the right answer to the question. So I did wish she had gone without those in here, but if you take my first caveat in mind… I really appreciated what she had to say about holiness. I will be thinking about this book for a long, long time.
April 18, 2022
I love books about books.
I love books about Christianity.
4.5 stars.
I love books about Christianity.
4.5 stars.
August 3, 2023
What a treasure we have in the communion of saints! I love how the author explored holiness through the lens of characters in literature. As a Catholic, it was convicting to hear a self-proclaimed Protestant write so beautifully about the universal call to holiness, virtue, and asceticism. Some parts felt ramble-y, and I lost the thread. Other parts had me rereading and capturing the quotes down. Thank you to the author for the nudge to consider how well-written fiction (even of evil!) can inspire us to holiness.
February 3, 2022
All quotes are from the Scandal of Holiness unless otherwise stated.
Holiness: Beginning, Middle, and End
“We push imagination to the side as fantastical and unnecessary: fiction offers an escape and has nothing to do with the practice of faith. But the imagination has everything to do with our faith: how we imagine our God, his world, and ourselves affects how we live and how we die. Our imaginations reflect the story in which we assume we are participating. What story are we part of? Who's telling it? Does it end happily ever after?”
You’re probably familiar with the idea of Schrodinger’s Cat, that a cat in a box on the brink of certain death is both dead and alive until the box is opened and the contents observed. If not, maybe you’ve heard of the tree which fell down in a forest, did it make a sound if no one was there to hear it fall? These are imaginary ideas that illustrate poignant points of interest, if I may though if we were to switch the narratives around, they might seem a tad more familiar.
You are the cat. You’re in a box on the brink of certain death, you don’t know anything that’s going on outside the box, nor do you know whether you will be observed and saved before time is up. On the other hand, perhaps you’re the tree and you’ve fallen down in a forest, unaware of whether or not anyone heard you and you can only lie down and wait and see, imagining the possible outcomes which could come to pass.
That is life. We don’t actually know what’s going to happen, but we are constantly imagining it. I love planning, I even have a word for it, Teleography, the combination of Telos and the suffix -graphy, essentially, the art of setting aims or ultimate objectives. As you can probably imagine though, a couple of weeks ago when I fell ill, my work fell to the wayside, my meticulous multi-coloured spreadsheet was no longer being followed and I began to imagine the repercussions the time wasted would have on the near future. What would I do to catch up at the weekend? Who could help?
Huh?
Surely, having just been smacked in the face by illness, I wouldn’t have been so naive as to think I could start planning the next part of the narrative, right?
Well, that’s not how we work. Humans are geared towards using their imagination. Part of the reason we can catch balls for instance is by our brains calculating where the ball will go, not just where it is. Sure, wind could sweep the ball up, and some of us are better than others at the whole sportsball thing, but it seems we are hardwired to see where things are going, not just where they are. If you think you’re beyond using your imagination, remember that Schrodinger used his to help him to try and understand quantum mechanics.
Imagining Holiness
It seems clear to me that while Wilson clearly has a love for literature, her burden is that Christians of all stripes and denominations would strive for holiness. Wilson. is well-read in fiction and non-fiction, in both recent and ancient texts. Where holiness is presented, there you’ll likely find Wilson’s footsteps, she’s been there and assessed it all. Sanctification, Sacraments, Saints and their Icons, from protestant traditions through every shade of the orthodox and catholic churches, this book draws from Wilson’s extensive survey of it all through the critique of fictional literature.
Wilson illustrates why when she says:
“Whenever I read stories about saints such as Hildegard of Bingen or Teresa of Ávila, I wonder whether it was easier to be holy if you didn't have toddlers screaming at you. Then I remember: my children are my community. They are the family with whom I am pursuing holiness, as are my neighbors, my friends, my church, as well as the strangers with whom I daily interact.”
Though she is speaking here of biography, it’s plain that when Wilson reads, her mind’s eye is on holiness, when she takes that sight and then casts it upon herself and her own situation, she carries that over and continues the journey in her own life. She’s inspired by those whose lives she’s read, both fictional and non-fictional, and she then puts what she’s learned into action. If you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ll know that I fell in love with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but that’s not the book that sparked my love affair with Austen, that honour goes to Mansfield Park. Within the confines of Mansfield, a manor house belonging to a wealthy family, Ms. Price, the protagonist, is forced to wrestle with her loves, her morals, her faith, how to love neighbours with whom she staunchly disagrees and how to repent when she falls into sin. I grew through her and through other characters in the narrative too. If you’ve read fiction you’ve probably had similar experiences. If you’re a reader, especially a reader of fiction, this book is probably for you. I would recommend buying this book, along with one or two of the books mentioned in its pages and reading them together, slowly. I don’t know whether this was Wilson’s intention, which I’ll get to, but certainly for me personally, I felt better equipped to read fiction, and to help people read fiction, having read this book.
Criticism
I have some criticism of this book, though nothing which would lead me to withhold recommending, I do think this is wonderfully written and well-argued. My critique comes down to these two points:
I’m not sure who the intended target audience was.
There are points where Wilson’s theology could have been made more clear
To that first point, I think I began this book assuming, I think wrongfully, that this was a book intended for anyone from a relatively new reader right up to more experienced ones. What became clear fairly quickly was that unless you already were already fairly well-read lots of the examples and analogies would simply go over your head. I will be honest and say that there were times I found myself in that camp, even with as broad a reading history as I have. I don’t say that to try and puff myself up, but to say that the audience of this book won’t be as broad as it otherwise could have been.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, in fact I found that when Wilson said the following:
“When I attend … events, I look for those on the outer ring. Where are the bright-eyed undergraduates and overeager graduate students? Who looks as though they know no one at this event and need a friend to sit with them? I've been able to love people who care about poetry and the arts but who will never be known in the eyes of the world.”
That I’d found Wilson’s audience. I might be wrong, I’m simply not sure, but if I’ve understood correctly, Wilson loves those who love literature and wants to take them on a journey that will help them not to simply walk with fictional figures of holiness, but to walk through them and into a greater understanding of personal holiness.
Wilson says in her introduction:
“If we are spending half our day consuming the world's narratives about who we are, what we want, and how to love, then we are being formed by an idolatrous imagination. If we are to counteract the diseased imaginations that we inherit and that daily influence us, we must be revolutionary in how we spend our time.”
That is an enviable goal that we should all look to fulfil, however, I think it’s a call that will need to be tackled by a few more writers at different levels, or again by Wilson at a simpler level, to achieve (A bit like Rebecca McLaughlin with Confronting Christianity & 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity.)
To the second point. I must stress here that I am a big advocate for reading outside of your own tradition and of theological retrieval. There are absolutely ways that we can grow through learning from the traditions of other denominations and understandings of Christianity (I used created a protestant version of the rosary a couple of years ago for instance.) Occasionally it’s unclear whether a theological distinctive of a particular tradition, i.e Orthodox Icons, was being used to illustrate Wilson’s point, to encourage ecumenism (promoting church unity), or was held by Wilson herself. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been too much of an issue and we as the reader would likely have been able to assess this through context. However. As this book makes heavy use of fictional examples, sometimes speaking of them as if they actually happened (which I believe they did in a very real way for Wilson,) it blurs the lines too far in my opinion. This book would have benefitted from taking a clearer stance on certain theological views, even if those views were vastly different than where I would land theologically. (I would welcome criticism of this opinion from others who end up reading the book.)
Sidenote: In the spirit of fairness, I would offer this quotation:
“When we consider what it means to learn from saints' stories, we draw from our specific church background. The Orthodox are surrounded by the saints in the icons; Catholics celebrate saints' days and share their stories as regularly as Bible stories with their children; Protestants often overlook these historical figures because of their association with pre-Reformed tradition but will occasionally read Foxe's Book of Martyrs or focus on the sacrifice of beloved missionaries, such as Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. I have sought to overcome these divisions by assembling holy figures from a diverse array of writers from each tradition. I am not conflating the differences between these divergent faiths, but I am hoping to focus on our commonality for the present pages.”
I have, I believe, taken this into account, but I want to be as fair as I can be and I certainly don’t want to misrepresent Wilson’s own views.
Conclusion - Should you read this book?
If you are an avid reader, I believe you would benefit hugely from this book. If you’re an intermediate reader who would like to be challenged, I would also commend this book to you, but with the caveat that you may not understand every reference Wilson makes and that’s more than okay.
I would say again that if you are going to read this book, don’t just read this book, I know I’ll personally be going back to read Laurus with Wilson’s thoughts in mind, I suggest you do so with, at least, one of the books she mentions.
Finally, I would commend to you these words:
“I hope that you fall in love with these stories, that you close these pages desiring more beauty and goodness, and that these stories, most significantly of all, will increase your love for the one writing your story, the Author of us all.”
Wilson loves God, lives and breathes the quest for holiness and wants you to as well, I stand with her here. Whether or not you read this book, there are many fictional works you can and will grow through, whether Christian or not, keep these words in mind:
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 CSB
Grace and Peace,
Adsum Try Ravenhill
Holiness: Beginning, Middle, and End
“We push imagination to the side as fantastical and unnecessary: fiction offers an escape and has nothing to do with the practice of faith. But the imagination has everything to do with our faith: how we imagine our God, his world, and ourselves affects how we live and how we die. Our imaginations reflect the story in which we assume we are participating. What story are we part of? Who's telling it? Does it end happily ever after?”
You’re probably familiar with the idea of Schrodinger’s Cat, that a cat in a box on the brink of certain death is both dead and alive until the box is opened and the contents observed. If not, maybe you’ve heard of the tree which fell down in a forest, did it make a sound if no one was there to hear it fall? These are imaginary ideas that illustrate poignant points of interest, if I may though if we were to switch the narratives around, they might seem a tad more familiar.
You are the cat. You’re in a box on the brink of certain death, you don’t know anything that’s going on outside the box, nor do you know whether you will be observed and saved before time is up. On the other hand, perhaps you’re the tree and you’ve fallen down in a forest, unaware of whether or not anyone heard you and you can only lie down and wait and see, imagining the possible outcomes which could come to pass.
That is life. We don’t actually know what’s going to happen, but we are constantly imagining it. I love planning, I even have a word for it, Teleography, the combination of Telos and the suffix -graphy, essentially, the art of setting aims or ultimate objectives. As you can probably imagine though, a couple of weeks ago when I fell ill, my work fell to the wayside, my meticulous multi-coloured spreadsheet was no longer being followed and I began to imagine the repercussions the time wasted would have on the near future. What would I do to catch up at the weekend? Who could help?
Huh?
Surely, having just been smacked in the face by illness, I wouldn’t have been so naive as to think I could start planning the next part of the narrative, right?
Well, that’s not how we work. Humans are geared towards using their imagination. Part of the reason we can catch balls for instance is by our brains calculating where the ball will go, not just where it is. Sure, wind could sweep the ball up, and some of us are better than others at the whole sportsball thing, but it seems we are hardwired to see where things are going, not just where they are. If you think you’re beyond using your imagination, remember that Schrodinger used his to help him to try and understand quantum mechanics.
Imagining Holiness
It seems clear to me that while Wilson clearly has a love for literature, her burden is that Christians of all stripes and denominations would strive for holiness. Wilson. is well-read in fiction and non-fiction, in both recent and ancient texts. Where holiness is presented, there you’ll likely find Wilson’s footsteps, she’s been there and assessed it all. Sanctification, Sacraments, Saints and their Icons, from protestant traditions through every shade of the orthodox and catholic churches, this book draws from Wilson’s extensive survey of it all through the critique of fictional literature.
Wilson illustrates why when she says:
“Whenever I read stories about saints such as Hildegard of Bingen or Teresa of Ávila, I wonder whether it was easier to be holy if you didn't have toddlers screaming at you. Then I remember: my children are my community. They are the family with whom I am pursuing holiness, as are my neighbors, my friends, my church, as well as the strangers with whom I daily interact.”
Though she is speaking here of biography, it’s plain that when Wilson reads, her mind’s eye is on holiness, when she takes that sight and then casts it upon herself and her own situation, she carries that over and continues the journey in her own life. She’s inspired by those whose lives she’s read, both fictional and non-fictional, and she then puts what she’s learned into action. If you’ve listened to our podcast, you’ll know that I fell in love with Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but that’s not the book that sparked my love affair with Austen, that honour goes to Mansfield Park. Within the confines of Mansfield, a manor house belonging to a wealthy family, Ms. Price, the protagonist, is forced to wrestle with her loves, her morals, her faith, how to love neighbours with whom she staunchly disagrees and how to repent when she falls into sin. I grew through her and through other characters in the narrative too. If you’ve read fiction you’ve probably had similar experiences. If you’re a reader, especially a reader of fiction, this book is probably for you. I would recommend buying this book, along with one or two of the books mentioned in its pages and reading them together, slowly. I don’t know whether this was Wilson’s intention, which I’ll get to, but certainly for me personally, I felt better equipped to read fiction, and to help people read fiction, having read this book.
Criticism
I have some criticism of this book, though nothing which would lead me to withhold recommending, I do think this is wonderfully written and well-argued. My critique comes down to these two points:
I’m not sure who the intended target audience was.
There are points where Wilson’s theology could have been made more clear
To that first point, I think I began this book assuming, I think wrongfully, that this was a book intended for anyone from a relatively new reader right up to more experienced ones. What became clear fairly quickly was that unless you already were already fairly well-read lots of the examples and analogies would simply go over your head. I will be honest and say that there were times I found myself in that camp, even with as broad a reading history as I have. I don’t say that to try and puff myself up, but to say that the audience of this book won’t be as broad as it otherwise could have been.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing, in fact I found that when Wilson said the following:
“When I attend … events, I look for those on the outer ring. Where are the bright-eyed undergraduates and overeager graduate students? Who looks as though they know no one at this event and need a friend to sit with them? I've been able to love people who care about poetry and the arts but who will never be known in the eyes of the world.”
That I’d found Wilson’s audience. I might be wrong, I’m simply not sure, but if I’ve understood correctly, Wilson loves those who love literature and wants to take them on a journey that will help them not to simply walk with fictional figures of holiness, but to walk through them and into a greater understanding of personal holiness.
Wilson says in her introduction:
“If we are spending half our day consuming the world's narratives about who we are, what we want, and how to love, then we are being formed by an idolatrous imagination. If we are to counteract the diseased imaginations that we inherit and that daily influence us, we must be revolutionary in how we spend our time.”
That is an enviable goal that we should all look to fulfil, however, I think it’s a call that will need to be tackled by a few more writers at different levels, or again by Wilson at a simpler level, to achieve (A bit like Rebecca McLaughlin with Confronting Christianity & 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity.)
To the second point. I must stress here that I am a big advocate for reading outside of your own tradition and of theological retrieval. There are absolutely ways that we can grow through learning from the traditions of other denominations and understandings of Christianity (I used created a protestant version of the rosary a couple of years ago for instance.) Occasionally it’s unclear whether a theological distinctive of a particular tradition, i.e Orthodox Icons, was being used to illustrate Wilson’s point, to encourage ecumenism (promoting church unity), or was held by Wilson herself. Ordinarily, this wouldn’t have been too much of an issue and we as the reader would likely have been able to assess this through context. However. As this book makes heavy use of fictional examples, sometimes speaking of them as if they actually happened (which I believe they did in a very real way for Wilson,) it blurs the lines too far in my opinion. This book would have benefitted from taking a clearer stance on certain theological views, even if those views were vastly different than where I would land theologically. (I would welcome criticism of this opinion from others who end up reading the book.)
Sidenote: In the spirit of fairness, I would offer this quotation:
“When we consider what it means to learn from saints' stories, we draw from our specific church background. The Orthodox are surrounded by the saints in the icons; Catholics celebrate saints' days and share their stories as regularly as Bible stories with their children; Protestants often overlook these historical figures because of their association with pre-Reformed tradition but will occasionally read Foxe's Book of Martyrs or focus on the sacrifice of beloved missionaries, such as Jim and Elisabeth Elliot. I have sought to overcome these divisions by assembling holy figures from a diverse array of writers from each tradition. I am not conflating the differences between these divergent faiths, but I am hoping to focus on our commonality for the present pages.”
I have, I believe, taken this into account, but I want to be as fair as I can be and I certainly don’t want to misrepresent Wilson’s own views.
Conclusion - Should you read this book?
If you are an avid reader, I believe you would benefit hugely from this book. If you’re an intermediate reader who would like to be challenged, I would also commend this book to you, but with the caveat that you may not understand every reference Wilson makes and that’s more than okay.
I would say again that if you are going to read this book, don’t just read this book, I know I’ll personally be going back to read Laurus with Wilson’s thoughts in mind, I suggest you do so with, at least, one of the books she mentions.
Finally, I would commend to you these words:
“I hope that you fall in love with these stories, that you close these pages desiring more beauty and goodness, and that these stories, most significantly of all, will increase your love for the one writing your story, the Author of us all.”
Wilson loves God, lives and breathes the quest for holiness and wants you to as well, I stand with her here. Whether or not you read this book, there are many fictional works you can and will grow through, whether Christian or not, keep these words in mind:
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8 CSB
Grace and Peace,
Adsum Try Ravenhill
April 29, 2022
Reading The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints by Jessica Hooten Wilson felt like revisiting my college English major days, but better. Through her examinations of literary texts, the author shows that reading and considering literature aids the believer in the calling of being a saint (see 1 Corinthians 1:2 NKJV). Although I previously read only one of the books discussed, I never felt confused because the author summarized each literary work as she conveyed her thoughts about spiritual issues. I did learn some plot spoilers.
I enjoyed each chapter in The Scandal of Holiness, but Chapter 3 (Creation Care as a Holy Calling) rated as my favorite. Chapter 8 (Ars Moriendi) impacted and challenged me the most as it addressed the concept of dying well. This topic and the points presented stuck with me. The end of each chapter included a devotional section with Scripture, book quotes, prayers of the saints, reflection questions, and suggestions for further reading.
The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson focuses mainly on modern works of literature. A few examples: Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, C. S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength, Georges Bernanos’ The Diary of a Country Priest. The author explained in the introduction that she incorporated works from various faith traditions (Protestants, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Church, etc.) Stories from the Catholic tradition seemed the most common, and I found them interesting. The author expounded her thoughts clearly and without antagonism for opposing opinions. Even when I disagreed with a point, I respected and considered her view, in part due to the excellent presentation.
The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson is the type of book I could read annually. I enjoyed and learned from it. My personal take-away was that reading and considering well-written literature can influence a believer’s perspective and spur him or her forward in pursuit of the calling to be a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2 NKJV). The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints by Jessica Hooten Wilson receives five stars from me.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
I enjoyed each chapter in The Scandal of Holiness, but Chapter 3 (Creation Care as a Holy Calling) rated as my favorite. Chapter 8 (Ars Moriendi) impacted and challenged me the most as it addressed the concept of dying well. This topic and the points presented stuck with me. The end of each chapter included a devotional section with Scripture, book quotes, prayers of the saints, reflection questions, and suggestions for further reading.
The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson focuses mainly on modern works of literature. A few examples: Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying, C. S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength, Georges Bernanos’ The Diary of a Country Priest. The author explained in the introduction that she incorporated works from various faith traditions (Protestants, Roman Catholics, Orthodox Church, etc.) Stories from the Catholic tradition seemed the most common, and I found them interesting. The author expounded her thoughts clearly and without antagonism for opposing opinions. Even when I disagreed with a point, I respected and considered her view, in part due to the excellent presentation.
The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson is the type of book I could read annually. I enjoyed and learned from it. My personal take-away was that reading and considering well-written literature can influence a believer’s perspective and spur him or her forward in pursuit of the calling to be a saint (1 Corinthians 1:2 NKJV). The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints by Jessica Hooten Wilson receives five stars from me.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
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September 30, 2023I loved this book. I already knew that I liked Jessica Hooten Wilson from her various places of influence on the internet, including her podcast and newsletter, but reading one of her books confirmed her place in my theoretical list of women I both trust and admire and feel some sort of kinship with in a wise older sister with a PhD kind of way haha. Besides the literary criticism and exploration of holiness throughout, I especially enjoyed the emphasis on saints and sainthood. As a novice in that area, I appreciated Wilson's perspective on the edification that comes from studying their lives and her encouragement to do so. Given that it compelled some additions to my "to be read" list, I will doubtless return to this book for reference and to glean from the resources and recommendations provided at the end of each chapter.
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August 13, 2022This is one of those books about books, focusing on reading as a Christian… a narrow genre but something I love to think about. Lots of book recommendations to follow up in here and I’ll want to reread chapters as I read the books discussed. There are definitely several things in this book I disagree with theologically (sometimes pretty strongly disagree). However, the purpose of “The scandal of holiness” is to promote a way of reading novels that examines the characters in light of how they reflect sanctification and holiness. This, to me, is a worthwhile exercise. From the conclusion:
“Novels introduce us to ways of imagining God already at work in our hearts, present in the world, transforming and sanctifying his creation all the time. By reading these stories about those who pursued his holiness, our desire for sanctity strengthens, and we share the burdens of our lives with a company of those who, like us, have been purged of their distractions and temptations. We join the company of saints who have been set free to become scandalously holy.”
“Novels introduce us to ways of imagining God already at work in our hearts, present in the world, transforming and sanctifying his creation all the time. By reading these stories about those who pursued his holiness, our desire for sanctity strengthens, and we share the burdens of our lives with a company of those who, like us, have been purged of their distractions and temptations. We join the company of saints who have been set free to become scandalously holy.”
May 20, 2022
An intelligent look at how fiction can shape our spirituality. I like books like this because it always helps me revisit the classics and make a list of what I've yet to read.
August 25, 2022
I loved many chapters and had to drag through some (I have scars from reading The Canterbury Tales in high school...thanks Lawanda....so even after reading the chapter on it, my interest in reading The Dun Cow book is...zero). I love books on books, especially those I already love (Kristin in particular) and I am inspired to read books I hadn't considered previously (CS Lewis space trilogy, Laurus). Also to note: some theology was not very clear and could be misinterpreted easily.
February 7, 2023
Really
Mixed feelings on this one.
Many gems of thought .. namely ones from other authors .. but also Wilson.. my main issue is there is also a lot of unorthodox liberties taken.. and possibly a bent toward the woke for lack of a better word..
Mixed feelings on this one.
Many gems of thought .. namely ones from other authors .. but also Wilson.. my main issue is there is also a lot of unorthodox liberties taken.. and possibly a bent toward the woke for lack of a better word..
December 12, 2023
This book introduces its readers to fictionalised saints so that we can enter into the heart-world of a saint through our imaginations and become more saintly. The saints, from literature written since 1900, are grouped in eight categories, from "Holy Foolishness" to "Ars Moriendi," often one saint per chapter, but sometimes more. They derive from books like Eugene Vodolazkin's Laurus, Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies, Ernest Gaines's A Lesson before Dying, and even, astonishingly, Walter Wangerin Jr.'s The Book of the Dun Cow. They are good choices.
The actual text of the book is something like enlightened or thematic-driven summary, the kind of commentary a teacher might give in class: pulling together particular instances of the book where the theme appears, linking them and commenting on their development, plugging in particularly apposite or pungent quotation, studding the whole with soundbytes from the teacher's own capacious reading elsewhere (here's something from Dorothy Day, C. S. Lewis, Alice Walker, Flannery O'Connor), illuminating human experience with anecdotes from the teacher's own experience. That too is good. If you haven't read the books in question, though, it's a bit like going to a class in which you haven't done the reading.
Why read this book and not the books she talks about? Well, I reckon you should probably read the books she talks about. I enjoyed her thoughts on books I'd already read, and made a short list of books that I now want to read on the basis of her commentary on them. Perhaps a better question: how does this book supplement (or even substitute for) a richer, fuller experience with the primary texts? In addition to the main body of each chapter, the chapter ends with a full devotional: quotation from a fictional saint, Scripture passage, wisdom from an actual saint, prayer, set of discussion questions, and four titles for further reading. A crafted move from imagination to spiritual application.
I don't want to read many books like this one. It's self-consciously mediatory, giving us a skimmed-off version of the good stuff. Go for the good stuff. But if you aren't, read this book, and if you are, read this book anyhow as an example of what to do with the good stuff. It is exemplary in that respect. Then go practice its disciplines when you encounter the good stuff straight.
The actual text of the book is something like enlightened or thematic-driven summary, the kind of commentary a teacher might give in class: pulling together particular instances of the book where the theme appears, linking them and commenting on their development, plugging in particularly apposite or pungent quotation, studding the whole with soundbytes from the teacher's own capacious reading elsewhere (here's something from Dorothy Day, C. S. Lewis, Alice Walker, Flannery O'Connor), illuminating human experience with anecdotes from the teacher's own experience. That too is good. If you haven't read the books in question, though, it's a bit like going to a class in which you haven't done the reading.
Why read this book and not the books she talks about? Well, I reckon you should probably read the books she talks about. I enjoyed her thoughts on books I'd already read, and made a short list of books that I now want to read on the basis of her commentary on them. Perhaps a better question: how does this book supplement (or even substitute for) a richer, fuller experience with the primary texts? In addition to the main body of each chapter, the chapter ends with a full devotional: quotation from a fictional saint, Scripture passage, wisdom from an actual saint, prayer, set of discussion questions, and four titles for further reading. A crafted move from imagination to spiritual application.
I don't want to read many books like this one. It's self-consciously mediatory, giving us a skimmed-off version of the good stuff. Go for the good stuff. But if you aren't, read this book, and if you are, read this book anyhow as an example of what to do with the good stuff. It is exemplary in that respect. Then go practice its disciplines when you encounter the good stuff straight.
March 30, 2022
Jessica Hooten Wilson challenges common misconceptions about reading fiction, arguing that even though many Christians prioritize nonfiction reading and think of stories as frivolous, reading about literary characters can spur us on to greater holiness in our own lives. In each chapter, she focuses on at least one novel and how it illustrates different elements of the Christian life, such as the role of community and the importance of creation care. Most of the literary works she referenced were ones that I had never heard of or am only passingly familiar with, but she wrote about them in a compelling way and explained their contexts clearly. I learned a lot without feeling like I was outside of the conversation because I hadn't already read the books.
The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints will primarily appeal to devoted readers who enjoy literary fiction. Personally, I wish that Wilson had provided some examples of less high-brow works that encourage holiness, because someone who reads this could walk away with the misconception that a book must be a Literary Experience to have spiritual value. Based on the author's academic background, it makes sense for her to focus on great works of literature, but I can point to books that nobody would teach in a college class that have spiritually formed me or changed my life. I wish that Wilson had included some examples of well-written, creative novels that wouldn't meet her standards for a "great work of literature," but which have value and convey spiritual truth nonetheless.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people who want to stretch and challenge their reading lives, already enjoy great works of literature, or are interested in this book for academic purposes. If someone doesn't already read regularly or read classic works, then On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior is likely to be much more accessible. Ultimately, The Scandal of Holiness is not targeted towards Christians who are trying to get into reading fiction, but to those who are already well-read and want to further expand their literary and spiritual horizons. For those readers, Wilson provides thoughtful analyses of unlikely fictional saints, explores their complexities, and suggests ways to discuss and spiritually reflect on their stories.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints will primarily appeal to devoted readers who enjoy literary fiction. Personally, I wish that Wilson had provided some examples of less high-brow works that encourage holiness, because someone who reads this could walk away with the misconception that a book must be a Literary Experience to have spiritual value. Based on the author's academic background, it makes sense for her to focus on great works of literature, but I can point to books that nobody would teach in a college class that have spiritually formed me or changed my life. I wish that Wilson had included some examples of well-written, creative novels that wouldn't meet her standards for a "great work of literature," but which have value and convey spiritual truth nonetheless.
Overall, I would recommend this book to people who want to stretch and challenge their reading lives, already enjoy great works of literature, or are interested in this book for academic purposes. If someone doesn't already read regularly or read classic works, then On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior is likely to be much more accessible. Ultimately, The Scandal of Holiness is not targeted towards Christians who are trying to get into reading fiction, but to those who are already well-read and want to further expand their literary and spiritual horizons. For those readers, Wilson provides thoughtful analyses of unlikely fictional saints, explores their complexities, and suggests ways to discuss and spiritually reflect on their stories.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2025
Not only does this book provide insight and conviction about how reading can edify the Christian life, but it is lush with examples and applications from popular and classic titles and authors. The book began with thoughts on fiction reading as a whole and while I would have loved more expansion on that, I appreciated the examples and the author accomplished what she set out to do. 4.5⭐️
“If we are spending half our day consuming the world’s narratives about who we are, what we want, and how to love then we are being formed by an idolatrous imagination…If we do not take care this level of enslavement to media absorption will steal from us all perception of joy, longing and desire that extends beyond this world.”
“Adult life begins in a child’s imagination and we relinquish that imagination to the marketplace.”
“Either we model saints or imitate substitutes.”
“Novels introduce us to ways of imagining God already at work in our hearts, present in the world transforming and sanctifying His work all the time. By reading these stories about those who pursued His holiness, our desire for sanctity strengthens.”
“If we are spending half our day consuming the world’s narratives about who we are, what we want, and how to love then we are being formed by an idolatrous imagination…If we do not take care this level of enslavement to media absorption will steal from us all perception of joy, longing and desire that extends beyond this world.”
“Adult life begins in a child’s imagination and we relinquish that imagination to the marketplace.”
“Either we model saints or imitate substitutes.”
“Novels introduce us to ways of imagining God already at work in our hearts, present in the world transforming and sanctifying His work all the time. By reading these stories about those who pursued His holiness, our desire for sanctity strengthens.”
March 29, 2022
The Scandal of Holiness by Jessica Hooten Wilson is literally BURSTING with wisdom about what we must do – what sort of persons we must BECOME – to progress in knowing God. Rather than being a step-by-step guide to improving one’s holiness, it instead delves into several works of literature in which the protagonist either exemplifies or demonstrates holiness, thereby using story to capture our attention, and then our imagination, and thus inspiring us to pursue holiness in our own lives. This use of story to get a point across and to capture the imagination of the hearer or reader certainly has some memorable precedents: the parables told by Jesus of Nazareth comes to mind, and His approach has succeeded rather well.
But, for full disclosure, gentle reader, be warned: this book may cause you to feel dissatisfied with who you are and force you to make painful changes in your own life – ‘dissatisfied’ because you will read examples of ordinary people who by faith became anything but ordinary, and ‘painful changes’ because you will likely be challenged to take steps in your life that require at least effort, and may result in discomfort, or even pain. (Saintliness ain’t easy, but it’s worth it. More than anything else, in fact.)
Read it now.
But, for full disclosure, gentle reader, be warned: this book may cause you to feel dissatisfied with who you are and force you to make painful changes in your own life – ‘dissatisfied’ because you will read examples of ordinary people who by faith became anything but ordinary, and ‘painful changes’ because you will likely be challenged to take steps in your life that require at least effort, and may result in discomfort, or even pain. (Saintliness ain’t easy, but it’s worth it. More than anything else, in fact.)
Read it now.
May 8, 2023
This book makes me want to read more novels and short stories with an eye to their saints.
Hooten Wilson has constructed a hallway lined with doors, each swinging open to a room themed by anthropology, sociology, and theology in classic fiction. I came away from her writing with thankfulness for how stories shape and inspire us, a little practice in reading as spiritual formation, and a longer to-read list.
Hooten Wilson has constructed a hallway lined with doors, each swinging open to a room themed by anthropology, sociology, and theology in classic fiction. I came away from her writing with thankfulness for how stories shape and inspire us, a little practice in reading as spiritual formation, and a longer to-read list.
June 6, 2024
This might be a great resource for someone who would like an analysis of one of the mentioned novels after reading. Familiarity with the primary texts is crucial. The Catholic perspective of the narrator enlightens, but also influences her insights. It did prompt me to add some books to my TBR, but an assumption of intimacy with the works leaves no surprises for a future reading.
May 20, 2023
This was great! This is what I wanted Karen swallow prior’s book to be but wasn’t. I loved Wilson’s tone, playfulness, and message! Added so many books to my want to read list because of this book haha
May 25, 2023
I really enjoyed reading this book! It also gave me a lot of good books for my to-read list, and it was a useful and enlightening way of revisiting books I have read before. I found it insightful and encouraging.
January 1, 2025
Lots of good nuggets in this and I appreciate the overall thesis — there is so much to learn from stories that don’t seem “holy” on the surface but are stories of redemption or reveal our depravity. I think it would’ve been more engaging if they were books that I knew… a lot of each chapter was explanation of the premises/characters and she would interweave other books or authors so it got a bit convoluted.
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April 6, 2022Pursuing holiness through imaginative reading
March 27, 2023
Thesis: books, particularly novels, can stimulate our imagination to aid our becoming like Jesus-our holiness, sanctification. I was introduced to the author when looking for a resource to increase my understanding and appreciation of Brothers Karamazov. One of my daughters googled it and pointed me to a video series by the author. Impressed, I’ve kept an eye out for her. I thought this book would give me ideas of good and helpful novels. It certainly did and many of them I’d never heard of. I listened to this book and then skimmed a print version, which greatly improved my comprehension and appreciation. I look forward to hearing more from Wilson, including her newest book (Reading for the Love of God)-and her appearance on Trinity Forum’s upcoming webcast (March 31): https://www.ttf.org/online-conversati...
Her chapter on women was particularly fascinating. Also her chapter on suffering and death.
Her chapter on women was particularly fascinating. Also her chapter on suffering and death.
October 30, 2022
Ah, the blessed curse of reading a book which only adds *more* titles to my already towering "To Be Read" pile. THANKS, DR. WILSON! :)
If you're going to stop reading this review after this sentence, here's what you need to know: after reading the introduction, I went back and read it a second time, but with a pencil ready, and marked over a dozen passages.
And that was just the INTRODUCTION.
This book may be the best example so far of the currently popular genre that I call "discipleship criticism," where authors analyze literature with an eye towards improving our lives of faith. Maybe the biggest recent star in this field was Karen Swallow Prior's "On Reading Well," and while "The Scandal of Holiness" resembles that great book in some ways, it's actually even better: where Prior focused her analysis on fairly generic virtues gleaned from very familiar classics (e.g. temperance in The Great Gatsby), Wilson isn't afraid to offer up more eclectic and even obscure fare (Georges Bernanos? Eugene Vodolazkin? Sigrid Undset???), and mine them for very specific homilies on Christian discipleship (e.g. chapters on advocating for the disenfranchised, balancing contemplation with action, caring for the environment, "holy foolishness," etc.).
It's a powerful approach that invigorates our intellects and challenges our spirits, which is just what we all need.
My only complaint is that there's no index! If it helps, here are the 12 major works that "The Scandal of Holiness" addresses in detail:
1. Vodolazkin, Laurus
2. Lewis, That Hideous Strength
3. Wangerin, The Book of the Dun Cow
4. Hurston, Moses: Man of the Mountain
5. Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies
6. Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter
7. Bernanos, The Diary of a Country Priest
8. Greene, The Power and the Glory
9. Greene, The End of the Affair
10. Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying
11. Percy, The Last Gentleman
12. Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop
But that list doesn't include the many great titles and authors (Cormac McCarthy, Flannery O'Connor) who are often referenced throughout the book.
I intend to review the many self reflection questions at the end of each chapter (I told you it was serous!), and I've already put a couple of these books on hold at the library. No sarcasm this time: thank you, Dr. Wilson!
* Disclosure: the author, whom I follow on Twitter, sent me a complimentary copy of the book.
**********
UPDATE 10.30.22: This is a message I sent to Dr. Wilson about an experience some friends and I had with her book:
Not only did I read it and love it, but it has blessed my book club, seen here. I’m on the left. My wife took this picture of us on Tuesday night, after our most recent meeting.
I brought Scandal of Holiness to our meeting in August, when it was my turn to pick our next book. I summarized your work and spotlighted several titles you covered, suggesting we pick one of those.
We picked The Power and the Glory.
We met this week to discuss it, and it was a fantastic meeting, with one of the deepest, broadest conversations we’ve had in three years of this club. References to your commentary on Greene’s novel came up more than once.
One of the other guys here also just read Scandal of Holiness and enjoyed it.
I just wanted you to know that your book has touched the hearts and minds of several middle aged Latter-day Saint dads now. Thanks again for writing it!
May you and your family be blessed! 😀❤️👍
If you're going to stop reading this review after this sentence, here's what you need to know: after reading the introduction, I went back and read it a second time, but with a pencil ready, and marked over a dozen passages.
And that was just the INTRODUCTION.
This book may be the best example so far of the currently popular genre that I call "discipleship criticism," where authors analyze literature with an eye towards improving our lives of faith. Maybe the biggest recent star in this field was Karen Swallow Prior's "On Reading Well," and while "The Scandal of Holiness" resembles that great book in some ways, it's actually even better: where Prior focused her analysis on fairly generic virtues gleaned from very familiar classics (e.g. temperance in The Great Gatsby), Wilson isn't afraid to offer up more eclectic and even obscure fare (Georges Bernanos? Eugene Vodolazkin? Sigrid Undset???), and mine them for very specific homilies on Christian discipleship (e.g. chapters on advocating for the disenfranchised, balancing contemplation with action, caring for the environment, "holy foolishness," etc.).
It's a powerful approach that invigorates our intellects and challenges our spirits, which is just what we all need.
My only complaint is that there's no index! If it helps, here are the 12 major works that "The Scandal of Holiness" addresses in detail:
1. Vodolazkin, Laurus
2. Lewis, That Hideous Strength
3. Wangerin, The Book of the Dun Cow
4. Hurston, Moses: Man of the Mountain
5. Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies
6. Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter
7. Bernanos, The Diary of a Country Priest
8. Greene, The Power and the Glory
9. Greene, The End of the Affair
10. Gaines, A Lesson Before Dying
11. Percy, The Last Gentleman
12. Cather, Death Comes for the Archbishop
But that list doesn't include the many great titles and authors (Cormac McCarthy, Flannery O'Connor) who are often referenced throughout the book.
I intend to review the many self reflection questions at the end of each chapter (I told you it was serous!), and I've already put a couple of these books on hold at the library. No sarcasm this time: thank you, Dr. Wilson!
* Disclosure: the author, whom I follow on Twitter, sent me a complimentary copy of the book.
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UPDATE 10.30.22: This is a message I sent to Dr. Wilson about an experience some friends and I had with her book:
Not only did I read it and love it, but it has blessed my book club, seen here. I’m on the left. My wife took this picture of us on Tuesday night, after our most recent meeting.
I brought Scandal of Holiness to our meeting in August, when it was my turn to pick our next book. I summarized your work and spotlighted several titles you covered, suggesting we pick one of those.
We picked The Power and the Glory.
We met this week to discuss it, and it was a fantastic meeting, with one of the deepest, broadest conversations we’ve had in three years of this club. References to your commentary on Greene’s novel came up more than once.
One of the other guys here also just read Scandal of Holiness and enjoyed it.
I just wanted you to know that your book has touched the hearts and minds of several middle aged Latter-day Saint dads now. Thanks again for writing it!
May you and your family be blessed! 😀❤️👍
April 29, 2023
Stellar! The conclusion alone is breathtaking: "This is so much what holiness is: increasing the capacity to love. Holiness is not about what we are to do but about who He is."
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