“At the end of the day, when I am lying in bed and I know the chances of any of our theology being exactly right are a million to one, I need to know that God has things figured out, that if my math is wrong we are still going to be okay. And wonder is that feeling we get when we let go of our silly answers, our mapped out rules that we want God to follow. I don't think there is any better worship than wonder.”
—Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz
“I could just see him sitting on his suitcases near the front door of my house. And I said to him, ‘I'm sorry God; it's not you. It's me. It's just, I don't think you exist. I mean, God, look at it this way: it's really because I take you so seriously that I can't bring myself to believe in you. If it's any consolation, it's sort of a sign of respect. So, you know, sit here as long as you want to, stay for a while, if you need to, there's no big hurry.’
And slowly, over the course of several weeks, he disappeared.”
—Julia Sweeney, Letting Go of God
***
In Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller embarks on a varied spiritual journey that ultimately reaffirms his Christian faith. Meanwhile, in Letting Go of God, devout Catholic Julia Sweeney comes to embrace a new identity for herself, that of an atheist. Although these two are on seemingly opposite ends of the spiritual spectrum, their respective journeys have much in common. In a concise essay, compare and contrast Miller’s and Sweeney’s stories about reaffirming and losing faith. Use specific examples from both the book and monologue to support your thesis.
Requirements:
- Three pages minimum
- MLA Style
- Parenthetical citation
- Works cited page
Due: Via email by noon on Sat 04.19
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