This session examines the relationship between religion and American literature.
This session examines the relationship between religion and American literature. In particular, it welcomes papers that explore the topic of theodicy in contemporary American literature. How have the events following 9/11, and the developments in
post-secular and trauma studies made the question of theodicy a more vital, urgent topic in our contemporary moment? How has 9/11 transformed the ways in which
Americans think about the problem of evil?
How has this event and other acts of terror influenced our cultural
imaginations of suffering and death? How
have contemporary American writers contributed to the conversations about the
presence or absence of God in suffering?