Percy-L: Literary, Religious, Scientific, and Philosophical Discussion of Walker Percy

[John Shaffett <jshaffett AT shorter.edu>]

My plan is to write my dissertation on Walker Percy. I have six courses left before beginning my dissertation, but I have been researching Percy before I entered the Ph.D program at Faulkner University. It is an Interdisciplinary program in the Great Books. My concentration is in Literature. Here is an abstract of my current focus: Walker Percy’s Christian faith was central to his life and writings. He asserts this fact in his essays and interviews over and over again. Percy first published in philosophy journals, and he would continue to publish philosophical essays throughout his life. He decided that his ideas could have a bigger audience by writing novels. In his novels, Percy develops complex protagonists who are grounded in Christian realism. Second, he explores philosophical ideas through his protagonists. A common theme in his novels is the religious quest. Percy believes that the human condition of people is that of the wayfarer. This dissertation asks the question, Was Walker Percy a novelist or a religious apologist—or both? Did Percy’s Christian faith have a negative influence on his art? Since this dissertation will attempt to present Percy’s thought, it will need to evaluate both his philosophical essays and his novels. The novels and the essays together are intended to present a theory of man or an anthropology. This dissertation will evaluate if Percy’s anthropology is convincing.

 

 

John E. Shaffett

Director of Library Services

315 Shorter Avenue │Rome, Georgia 30165

Office: 706.233.7357

jshaffett AT shorter.edu

www.shorter.edu

 

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