The Catholic Information Center 

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A lecture by Philip Zaleski (Smith College)

Reception to follow

The second in a three-part series on Christian literature, co-sponsored by the CIC and the Thomistic Institute, entitled "Finding God in the Modern World."

Synopsis:

Everyone knows the taste of hope, but what it is, whence it comes, how it acts, why it flourishes or vanishes, often mystify believers and skeptics alike. In the hope of elucidating some of hope’s elusive qualities and operations, Philip Zaleski examines its role in the lives and works of the major Inklings, especially J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, with reference to
the writings of Popes Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis.

Speaker:

Philip Zaleski is the author of many books on religion and culture, including The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings (Best Book of the Year, MLA Conference on Christianity and Literature) and Prayer: A History (New York Times Notable Book), both co-authored with his wife, Carol Zaleski. He also created and edited the long-running annual literary and religious anthology, The Best Spiritual Writing. He has taught at Wesleyan University, Tufts University, and Smith College and is currently a research associate in Smith’s Department of Religion. When away from desk and classroom, he is an oblate of the contemplative Roman Catholic Benedictine community of St. Mary’s Monastery in northwest Massachusetts.