Flannery O'Connor: Writing a Theology of Disabled Humanity (Studies in Religion, Theology, and Disability)

Review\nOn the whole, Basselin’s work is a valuable contribution to O’Connor scholarship, particularly with its exploration of the significance of her theological vision in relation to the frequent but underexamined representation of disability in her fiction, expanding the potential for future critical conversations about the role and representation of people with disabilities in O'Connor's work. -- Jenny Bangsund ― Flannery O’Connor Review\n...Basselin offers an as yet under-utilized approach to mine the subtexts of O'Conner's work. -- Mary Jo lozzio, Boston College ― Theological Studies\nThis work is a laudable endeavor to explore uncovered territory of O’Connor, and one which should prove valuable to any institution serving patrons studying, or exhibiting interest in subjects of Flannery O’Connor, disability studies, biblical parallels in literature, and literature history pertaining to the Southern Gothic genre. -- Zach Valdes, Sam Houston State University ― Journal of American Culture\nFlannery O'Connor is one of America's most unique Southern authors. Shortly after she began her writing career she was diagnosed with lupus. Despite her illness, O'Connor authored more than two dozen short stories and two novels. Her highly regionalized Southern Gothic stories often involve grotesque characters.
Literature critic and theologian Timothy J. Basselin consults O'Connor's life and work to illustrate the profound connections existing between the theme of the grotesque and Christian theology. O'Connor's own disability, Basselin argues, inspired a theology that leads readers toward greater recognition of God's activity in a sinfully grotesque world. By combining disability studies, literary critique, and theological reflection, Basselin discovers a new vision for approaching the disabled, the grotesque, and the other in society. Flannery O'Connor reignites O'Connor's own critiques of the modern affinity for perfection, self-sufficiency, and a clear separation between "good" and "bad."