Erin PetersFollow

Date

6-2018

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Master of Arts in English (MA)

Chair

Karen S. Prior

Keywords

Ann Voskamp, Christianity, Church, Evangelical, Memoir, Poetry

Disciplines

English Language and Literature | Religion | Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Abstract

Because of her work as an author, speaker, blogger, and Compassion International advocate, Christianity Today cited Ann Voskamp as one of the 50 most influential women in shaping the North American evangelical church. Through her poetic, spiritual memoirs, Voskamp has challenged and inspired Christian women in their walk with God while simultaneously raising an important question for Christian literature: What roles does the poetic imagination play in communicating theology? To be sure however, Voskamp’s unique blend of poetic lyricism and personally applied theology has incited significant criticism regarding her loosely constructed language and narrative interpretation of Scripture. This thesis evaluates Voskamp’s literary aesthetics in terms of her theologically infused memoir and poetic prose while interacting with criticism of the author’s writing. It concludes by analyzing the effects of Voskamp’s published work on Christian literature, women, and evangelical culture.

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