WAUKESHA – Author James Morrow, whose prize-winning book is among the assigned readings in the philosophy of religion class at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, will speak on February 29 at the campus, 1500 N. University Dr., Waukesha. He will preside at a discussion with students at 10:35 a.m. in Commons Conference Room 101. Later, he will present a lecture on the question of the existence of a good God and, at the same time, evil in the world, speaking at 7:00 p.m. in Northview Hall, Room 055. Both presentations are open to the public at no charge.Invited to campus by UW Colleges philosophy instructor Bill Schneider, Morrow also will give a free, public presentation at the University of Wisconsin-Washington County campus at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 28, and speak to students at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1.Having already built a career as a science fiction writer, Morrow explores theological issues in his recent “godhead trilogy,” which includes Towing Jehovah, Blameless in Abaddon, and his latest, The Eternal Footman. In these, God dies, his Connecticut-sized body is turned into a sort of theme park run by Baptists, and he is put on trial for the evil He allowed in the world.Morrow admits he didn’t know where the trial scenes would lead, but he knew the books would be considered irreverent by some. “Irreverent isn’t quite strong enough,” he says, “Blasphemous … heretical … a candidate for hellfire … those are the sorts of blurbs I sometimes get on call-in shows. But I am irreverent vis-à-vis the Universe. I think you have to be in awe of reality.”
In Schneider’s classes, students wrestle with the issues raised in Blameless in Abaddon in searching for an existence of a good God amidst observed evil and suffering in the world. With them, at least, Morrow is achieving his goal: “I want to get people thinking until it hurts.”
