A free-thinking theology professor assigned my novel Flight of the Goose to his graduate seminar to teach about animistic/shamanic Indigenous world view as it clashes and merges with Western Science/Materialism and Christianity and diffuses into a new form
the syllabus: Theological Thinking for Everyday Life and Ministry with Dr. Wesley J. Wildman — Boston University
Here is the assignment, which I found fascinating:
Reading III: Theological thinking about nature (Thomas)
Read Lesley Thomas, Flight of the Goose.
Brainstorming VI: theological thinking about encountering nature
Theological Thinking for Everyday Life and Ministry Wesley J. Wildman — Boston University — Spring, 2008 — STH TT852
"Flight of the Goose offers numerous avenues for theological reflection. One concerns the human encounter with nature. What are your experiences of encountering nature? Ask yourself: Can nature really aid theological thinking? Do we tend to idealize or trivialize or objectify nature? If so what is the price of those ways of thinking? If nature turns out to be often hostile to human life, what does that tell us about God’s creative power? If nature is sometimes gloriously majestic, what does that tell us about the divine character? Come with your own stories about adventures in nature to share with the class. "
