Life in Literature Series Presents “The Book of Job”—A Dramatic Reading  

The Department of Catholic Studies, Campus Ministry, and the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture at Seton Hall University proudly announce an event in the Life in Literature Series with Dr. James McGlone—a dramatic reading of "The Book of Job." The event will be held on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at 7 p.m. in the University Center - Theatre in the Round.

The dramatic reading will be followed by a commentary by Dr. Dermot Quinn.

About the event:
The Book of Job is a dialogue fiction. The plot traces the life and sufferings of a righteous Gentile from prosperity through calamity to depression and a final resolution. Considered a masterpiece of world literature, the text fits our dramatic reading requirements. The Book of Job remains one of the most popular and widely read books in the Old Testament. Our adaptation stresses the dramatic confrontation of one man with the questions: Why am I suffering so much? Is God punishing me for my sins? Is human suffering the sole result of personal sin? Our troupe believes this book was written to be heard, to be performed by several actors. As with all our presentations, our hope is that our audiences will want to read the text after hearing our interpretation. To reach a wider audience, this event will be video recorded, and a link to it will be available online after the event.

About the speakers:
Dr. James P. McGlone is Professor Emeritus at Seton Hall University. He has a PhD in theatre from New York University, an MA in speech and communication from Catholic University of America, and a BA in communication arts from Seton Hall. In 2013, Dr. McGlone joined the Department of Catholic Studies after teaching for almost five decades at Seton Hall. Education, in Professor's McGlone's opinion, it is a conversation that involves talking about things that matter; it implies a love of people, generally referred to as friendship, and a love of words, the only, if imperfect, symbols we have with which to enter each other's mind and spirit. He adheres to W. B. Yeats' suggestion that "I must be talking to my friends," and in that category he includes students and colleagues. That is Professor McGlone's goal when engaging students in his classes.

Dr. Dermot Quinn is Professor of History at Seton Hall University and Editor of The Chesterton Review. Dr. Quinn was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and New College, Oxford, where he was awarded a DPhil in 1986. He has written extensively on Chestertonian themes. He has authored three books: The Irish in New Jersey: Four Centuries of American Life (Rutgers University Press, 2004; winner, New Jersey Studies Academic Alliance, Non-fiction Book of the Year, 2005), Patronage and Piety: The Politics of English Roman Catholicism, 1850-1900 (Stanford University Press/Macmillan, 1993), and Understanding Northern Ireland (Baseline Books, Manchester, UK, 1993), as well as many articles and reviews in the field of British and Irish history.

About the sponsors:
Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University offers an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum for students of any creed who are interested in deepening their knowledge of Catholicism's rich intellectual tradition and living heritage. Combining the study of history, philosophy, theology, literature, art, sociology, and other disciplines, Catholic Studies focuses on the Church's dialogue with culture and encounter with the world. Students interested in Catholic Studies have the option to pursue a major, minor, or certificate that complements and enhances the university's other degree programs and fields of study. Over 20 years the academic program and its variegated activities have stayed true to and fulfilled the Catholic mission and vision of the University.

For more information, please contact Dr. Ines Murzaku at Ines.Murzaku@shu.edu or Gloria Aroneo at Gloria.Aroneo@shu.edu.

Campus Ministry Seton Hall is a Catholic University committed to providing a Christian education and developing community. Campus Ministry's mission is to be a pastoral presence of the Catholic Church on campus.

The G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture is based at Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J. Founded in 1974 by Father Ian Boyd, C. S. B., its purpose is to promote the thought of G. K. Chesterton and his circle and more broadly, to explore the application of Chestertonian ideas in the contemporary world. The Institute's work consists of conferences, lecture series, research, and writing. The Chesterton Review, founded in 1974, has been widely praised both for its scholarship and for the quality of its writing.

The journal was founded by Father Ian Boyd, C. S. B., and is edited by Dr. Dermot Quinn. It includes a wide range of articles not only on Chesterton himself, but on the issues close to his heart in the work of other writers and in the modern world. It has devoted special issues to C. S. Lewis, George Bernanos, Hilaire Belloc, Maurice Baring, Christopher Dawson, Cardinal Manning, the Modernist Crisis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Fantasy Literature, a Special Polish Issue, and a special Dickens Issue. The Chesterton Review also publishes one annual issue in Spanish and an annual supplement in Portuguese and French.

For information about the Institute or The Chesterton Review please contact the email: chestertoninstitute@shu.edu, or click here to view our page

Categories: Arts and Culture, Education, Faith and Service