“Between the Altar and the Stars: Science Fiction and Catholic Storytelling” by Stephen Kotowych

One of my favourite events to attend–and the talk I have perhaps most enjoyed giving–is our local Theology on Tap. Hosted in the taproom above an Irish pub in Charlottetown, we get a diverse perspective of Christian theology, sponsored by the St. Dunstan’s Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture at the University of Prince Edward Island. One recent talk is particularly interesting to readers of A Pilgrim in Narnia. While targeted at Roman Catholic storytellers, the talk is an intelligent and humorous approach to faith and science fiction writing from someone who is at the cross-section of academia, publishing, and writing.

Stephen Kotowych is winner of the Writers of the Future Grand Prize, Spain’s Ictineu Award, and a two-time finalist for the Prix Aurora Award, Canada’s highest prize for Science Fiction. To find out more about Mr. Kotowych, visit his website, http://kotowych.com/. And do take enjoy this brilliant video below.

About Brenton Dickieson

“A Pilgrim in Narnia” is a blog project in reading and talking about the work of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, the Inklings, L.M. Montgomery, and the worlds they created. As a "Faith, Fantasy, and Fiction" blog, we cover topics like children’s literature, myths and mythology, fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction, poetry, theology, cultural criticism, art and writing. This blog includes my thoughts as I read through my favourite writings and reflect on my own life and culture. In this sense, I am a Pilgrim in Narnia--or Middle Earth, or Fairyland, or Avonlea. I am often peeking inside of wardrobes, looking for magic bricks in urban alleys, or rooting through yard sale boxes for old rings. If something here captures your imagination, leave a comment, “like” a post, share with your friends, or sign up to receive Narnian Pilgrim posts in your email box. Brenton Dickieson (PhD, Chester) is a father, husband, friend, university lecturer, and freelance writer from Prince Edward Island, Canada. You can follow him: www.aPilgrimInNarnia.com Twitter (X) @BrentonDana Instagram @bdickieson Facebook @aPilgrimInNarnia
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4 Responses to “Between the Altar and the Stars: Science Fiction and Catholic Storytelling” by Stephen Kotowych

  1. What a fascinating topic… thanks for the share!

  2. Anne says:

    So much of what he says applies not just to Catholic writers but to Christian writers in general. If I recall correctly, both C.S. Lewis and Madeleine L’Engle wrote about the label “Christian writer” and about being “children’s writers.” Thank you for sharing this.

  3. Virginia says:

    Thank you for sharing this video – what a brilliant presentation. We have Theology on Tap here, but they’ve never tackled Science Fiction (to which I would be the first to pull a pint!) So much to digest. A quote from Madeleine L’ Engle fits this lecture: “A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.”
    grace, peace & galactic inspiration – Virginia 🙂

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