GROVE CITY, Pa. – The sixth annual Christian Writers Conference, “Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief,” is set for Nov. 13 and 14 on the Grove City College campus. The event, sponsored by the Grove City College English Department and Lambda Iota Tau Literary Honor Society, will explore how Dickinson used her poetry to delve into the mysteries of faith and doubt.

The Christian Writers Conference at Grove City College is an annual event that explores the relationship between literature and the Christian faith. The conference may focus on a particular writer’s work or on an issue or theme of special significance to the dialogue between literature and Christian thought. Previous conferences focused on the work of writer Dorothy L. Sayers, poet and playwright Jeanne Murray Walker, literary forms of the Bible and Christianity and the postmodern mind.

Dr. Roger Lundin, Blanchard Professor of English at Wheaton College, is this year’s featured speaker. A professor at Wheaton since 1978, he earned his B.A. in English from there, his M.T.S. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut. He is currently directing a multi-year project on American literature and religion, which is sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Erasmus Institute of the University of Notre Dame. In addition to articles, essays and book reviews, Lundin has published a number of books, including “There Before Us: Religion, Literature, and Culture from Emerson to Wendell Berry,” “From Nature to Experience: The American Search for Cultural Authority” and “Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief.” With his permission, the conference’s title mirrors that of his book.

The conference is free and open to the public. Sessions include:

7 p.m.         Nov. 13   Special showing of the film, “The Belle of
                                   Amherst,” starring Julie Harris as Dickinson, Hall
                                   of Arts and Letters Room 308.
9:30 a.m.   Nov. 14   Lecture, “The End of Knowing,” Harbison Chapel.
10:05 a.m. Nov. 14   Lecture and discussion, “The Poetry of Emily
                                   Dickinson,” Henry Buhl Library Rare Book Room.
4 p.m.         Nov. 14   Seminar, “Modern Literature and the Question
                                   of Belief,” Rare Book Room (Refreshments will
                                   be provided prior to this seminar).
7 p.m.         Nov. 14   Lecture, “Nimble Believing: Emily Dickinson and
                                   the Conflict of Interpretation,” Sticht Lecture
                                   Hall in the Hall of Arts and Letters.