Walker Percy and the Catholic sacraments.

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorWood, Ralph C.
dc.contributor.authorRasnic, Rhea Scott.
dc.contributor.departmentEnglish.en
dc.contributor.otherBaylor University. Dept. of English.en
dc.date.accessioned2008-04-15T17:50:00Z
dc.date.available2008-04-15T17:50:00Z
dc.date.copyright2007
dc.date.issued2008-04-15T17:50:00Z
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 161-166).en
dc.description.abstractA noticeable void in Walker Percy studies is the absence of a full-length theological analysis of his treatment of the Catholic sacraments, an unfortunate omission considering the place they occupy in his work. This project will attempt to fill that void, specifically exploring Percy's presentation of the sacraments in his fiction, focusing on both the theological and literary implications of Catholic sacramental theology. The impetus for the theological discussion is prompted by Henri de Lubac's claim that the sacraments are by their very nature communal rather than individualistic. In the bulk of Percy's work, we see the importance of community within the Christian life, and the sacraments play a crucial role in establishing such community. This theological treatment of his novels will also supplement previous Percy criticism, much of which deals with his philosophical relevance to the detriment of his Catholicism, by focusing primarily on the specifically Catholic elements in his novels. In addition to these theological concerns, I argue that Percy's early-mid fiction (The Moviegoer, The Last Gentleman, Love in the Ruins, and Lancelot) are superior novels due partly to Percy's respect for the inherent "mystery" of the sacraments. In his last two novels (The Second Coming and The Thanatos Syndrome) the sacraments occupy a less significant role, having been replaced with either sentimental romanticism (The Second Coming) or a hortatory, moralizing tone (The Thanatos Syndrome). By his last novel, Percy relies upon the vocabulary of Catholicism to express his seething contempt for modernity, rather than the subtle sacramental theology we see in his early fiction. The unfortunate literary consequence is fiction more prescriptive than descriptive, more dogmatic than ironic.en
dc.description.degreePh.D.en
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Rhea Scott Rasnic.en
dc.format.extentix, 166 p.en
dc.format.extent154106 bytes
dc.format.extent700221 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2104/5138
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.rightsBaylor University theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.en
dc.rights.accessrightsWorldwide accessen
dc.subjectPercy, Walker, 1916-1990 -- Criticism and interpretation.en
dc.subjectSacraments in literature.en
dc.subjectCatholic church -- In literature.en
dc.subjectTheology in literature.en
dc.subjectLubac, Henri de, 1896-1991.en
dc.titleWalker Percy and the Catholic sacraments.en
dc.typeThesisen

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Scott_Rasnic_phd.pdf
Size:
683.81 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Dissertation
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Scott_Rasnic.permissions.pdf
Size:
150.49 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Permissions File
Download

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.96 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Electronic Theses and Dissertations