Bøger af Damian Ference

Flannery O'Connor is one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. Her novels and short stories--shockingly violent, absurdly comic, spiritually potent--continue to entertain, beguile, and transform readers of all backgrounds to this day. For many encountering them for the first time, O'Connor's stories of backwoods prophets and outcasts feel strangely nihilistic and dark. Others familiar with her letters and essays appreciate the deep Catholic understanding of sin and grace that animates them. In this new book, Fr. Damian Ference proposes a more precise lens for decoding Flannery O'Connor's narrative art, one that originates in O'Connor's own words about herself: Hillbilly Thomism. The author examines the various ways in which St. Thomas Aquinas and the philosophical tradition of Thomism shaped not only O'Connor's view of reality but also the stories she told to help us see and know it. Featuring an impressive array of biographical and literary evidence and extended analysis of her short stories "The River," "Parker's Back," and "The Displaced Person," Understanding the Hillbilly Thomist is an important look at the intersection of medieval philosophy and modern fiction in one of the most treasured artists of the American South.

In an age of loneliness and distraction, it can be easy to forget God's presence in our daily lives-until we are confronted with everyday miracles like birth, death, or marriage. In his new book, The Strangeness of Truth, Fr. Damian Ference meditates on the way that eternal mysteries such as the Incarnation, Resurrection, and the Eucharist make themselves felt in the everyday, using scenes from his own life to illustrate and animate doctrine. Plenty of elaborate theological treatises have been written on the subjects that he addresses, but his tone is conversational and direct. His insights are designed to awaken and remind his readers of the radical truths that surround them- that God holds our world in existence, that He became a man, and that He sacrificed Himself for us. Fr. Ference's writing is filled with wonder, reverence, and a keen observational sense, using concrete examples and crystal-clear observations to illuminate realities often spoken of as murky or abstract. The Strangeness of Truth will spark a renewed love and appreciation for the doctrines God has revealed, and help you see them with fresh eyes; not as they could be, but how they really are-beautiful, strange, and timeless. 2020 CPA Award Winner!