The Artist and the Trinity: Dorothy L. Sayer's Theology of Work by Christine M. Fletcher [Book Review]

Journal of the Society of Christian Ethics 36 (1):220-222 (2016)
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In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Reviewed by:The Artist and the Trinity: Dorothy L. Sayers’ Theology of Work by Christine M. FletcherElise M. EdwardsThe Artist and the Trinity: Dorothy L. Sayers’ Theology of Work Christine M. Fletcher eugene, or: pickwick publications, 2013. 162 pp. $19.00.The Artist and the Trinity provides a comprehensive yet concise presentation of Dorothy L. Sayers’s contribution to social ethics and theology, advancing it into a thoughtful, compelling theology of work and vocation. Sayers, a twentieth-century British novelist, playwright, and essayist, highlighted within her writings a consistent set of ideas about work, grounded in deep commitments to the Trinitarian orthodoxy of the Athanasian Creed and the author’s lived experiences as an artist. Christine Fletcher integrates Sayers’s insights into a cohesive theology addressing contemporary problems about work: separation of roles by gendered norms, differentiation of Christian vocation and secular work, and dehumanizing work. [End Page 220]Fletcher skillfully demonstrates that although Sayers was not a professional theologian, apologist, or ethicist, her understanding of the nature of human work and vocation offered a meaningful contribution to Christian social ethics. Early chapters of The Artist and the Trinity feature a well-researched review of Sayers’s works and the ethical themes presented in them. These chapters might capably introduce Sayers to a reader unfamiliar with her work, but the scope and specificity of Fletcher’s discussion of the authors’ characters and plots suggest that this book would best accompany a study of the primary texts. Despite including some literary jargon, Fletcher’s analysis of Sayers’s work is engaging and informative. It exposes the elements of social criticism in Sayers’s fiction and the experiences that informed her analogy for the Trinity. Fletcher offers a thorough description of Sayers’s understanding of the Trinity through an analogy of the artistic process and adeptly explains how it informs Sayers’s conception of good work. Later chapters of the book not only explain “Sayers’ idea that human beings bear the image of God in their ability to create” (xx) but also incorporate this assertion into a compelling human ethic of work that values creativity, initiative, and the individual person’s unique set of skills and interests.The book convincingly argues that good work is an integral part of a fulfilling life for all persons, regardless of gender, because of the universal human capacity to create in the image of God. However, the book lacks any comparison between Sayers’s views on vocation and that of others in the Christian tradition, such as Martin Luther or John Calvin. The omission is striking because Sayers’s belief that the laity’s “secular work is their divine vocation” (120) figures so centrally to her argument about humanity’s desire and ability to make things. But Fletcher effectively contextualizes Sayers’s fiction and wartime speeches, placing her within the tradition of Anglican social ethics, and also skillfully connects her work to contemporary scholarship in theological anthropology, Trinitarian theology, and virtue ethics.The Artist and the Trinity complements other books about Sayers’s theology by Laura Simmons (Creed without Chaos: Exploring Theology in the Writings of Dorothy L. Sayers, Baker Academic, 2005) and Ann Loades (Dorothy L. Sayers: Spiritual Writings, SPCK, 1993). While those works explicate her theological contributions, this study focuses more on the ethical implications of Sayers’s theology. Fletcher’s theology of good work expertly addresses limitations in Sayers’s theology with elements from Alasdair MacIntyre’s philosophical accounts of practices, internal and external goods, and institutions, resulting in an original proposal of work and care. This book is nuanced yet accessible for advanced undergraduates and nonspecialists interested in topics as varied as Trinitarian theology, feminist studies in religion, labor and economics, and Christianity and the arts. While Sayers’s narratives and essays are already valued by religion scholars engaged in the arts and [End Page 221] literature, this study persuasively illuminates the relevance of her work for ethicists pursuing questions about human relationality, gender roles, and the meaning of work.Elise M. EdwardsBaylor UniversityCopyright © 2016 Society of Christian Ethics...

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