Parker

1
Parkers Back

• Published 1965
• in Everything That Rises Must Converge

2
Flannery OConnor

• Born and lived in Georgia, 1925-1964
• Catholic in Christ-haunted Protestant South
• Typifies Southern Gothic style
• Grotesque characters, very flawed
• Explores Southern social and moral tensions
• Stories often center on a moment of grace
• Usually violent
• All human nature vigorously resists grace
  because grace changes us and the change is
  painful
• Catholic grace is given through a physical
  encounter (sacrament)

3
Discussion

• How do you understand Parkers character? Sarah
  Ruth?
• Why does he choose the Byzantine Christ?
• Why is he affected so deeply by the tattoo?
• Why does Sarah think the tattoo is idolatrous, if
  she clearly believes in Christ?
• What does her response reveal about her character
  and religiousness?
• Other questions??

4
The burning bush (Exodus 31-6)

• Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law
  Jethro, the priest of Midian he led his flock
  beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the
  mountain of God.
• There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
  flame of fire out of a bush he looked, and the
  bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
• Then Moses said, I must turn aside and look at
  this great sight, and see why the bush is not
  burned up. When the Lord saw that he had turned
  aside to see, God called to him out of the bush,
  Moses, Moses! And he said, Here I am.
• Then he said, Come no closer! Remove the sandals
  from your feet, for the place on which you are
  standing is holy ground.
• He said further, I am the God of your father,
  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
  of Jacob. And Moses hid his face, for he was
  afraid to look at God.

5
Jonah

• Folk tale/prophetic story in Hebrew Scriptures
• God commands Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh
  and preach against its wickedness
• Jonah goes in the opposite direction
• Gets on ship
• Ship encounters storm
• Sailors decide Jonahs disobedience has made God
  angry, throw him off the ship
• Waters calm instantly

6
Obadiah Elihue

• Obadiah
• Prophet of Hebrew Scriptures
• Meaning servant of the Lord (YHWH)
• Elihue
• Friend of Job in Hebrew Scriptures
• Meaning It was God indeed

7
For next time

• Skip Melito Read Mondays assignment
  (Athanasius)
• Read intro and Chidester first
• Track Athansius argument
• What do his opponents say?
• How are they Jewish?
• How is the Logos like God, for Athanasius?
• In what ways is Christ truly human?
• How does Christs union of human and divine
  save humanity? What benefits does this offer to
  human beings?