Assignment: Composing Devotional Writing

As my LDS Literature students explore different ways of going about writing in the personal essay genre, I'm having them experiment in various ways. For their next blog post, I want them to generate new material -- either connected to writing they've already done, or not. They will do this, however, in terms of devotional writing.

What is devotional writing and why does it matter?

"Writing in the Dawn" by Thomas Anshutz

The genre of devotional writing matters to those who see writing as mode of worship and of spiritual work. My students are Latter-day Saints, inheriting a strong faith tradition tied to personal expression and private writing. I want them to recognize that people have been writing from a personal and religious angle for centuries, and that this has been a respected area from both a spiritual and a literary point of view. Maybe they could draw courage, as well as practical models, from some of those who (from Catholic, Protestant, or Mormon traditions) have written this way.

I will be asking my students to try their hand at three approaches to devotional writing (as explained in detail below):

1. Narrating an inner struggle
2. Writing in a personal way about scripture
3. Telling about a wilderness quest

But first, a recap of my lecture today on devotional writing (Find the recording here):

I read selections from St. Augustine's Confessions; from George Herbert's "Jordan II"; from Jonathan Edwards' "Personal Narrative"; and from some of my own writing. In each of these certain traits were obvious: literary expression as a kind of "working out one's salvation through fear, trembling, and ink," as I put it (paraphrasing Philippians 2:12). In contrast to theological writing or religious writing intended for doctrinal instruction, devotional literature exemplifies the individual wrestling with his or her soul, and making an effort to connect with God. Many of the psalms fall into this category, including the so-called "Psalm of Nephi" (2 Nephi 4:15-35)

Inner struggles are part of both the writing life and a life of faith

This leads to the first of three parts for the next assignment:

1. An Inner Struggle: Compose 200-400 words in which you narrate a personal inner struggle. This could be a difficult decision, a dilemma of some kind, or a spiritual trial. In doing so, try to use literary methods like concrete details, setting a scene, or even dialogue. (Use discretion, please, in how personal you are, since this draft will go online and not every personal experience ought to be shared. See me if you have concerns).

When discussing Joseph Smith's history, I called attention to how his story includes a profound experience with scripture. He is not the first to write in this way. Augustine did so in the 4th century, and Jonathan Edwards in the 18th. This was a devotional use of scripture because it was personal and associated with the individual's efforts to connect with God. This is not scripture used for theological teaching or doctrinal discussion. These authors used scripture as a personal holdfast and they often wove memorable passages directly into their speech as though such passages were close and ready friends.

People who live by scripture make it their own
in personal ways

This leads me to the second part of the next assignment:

2. Scripture, Personal and Powerful. Compose 200-400 words featuring scripture in a personal way. This must NOT sound like a lesson or a moral, nor a defense of the faith, nor an advertisement for Mormonism or Christianity. It should reflect real and personal connection with God's word. The scripture to which you refer need not come from the Book of Mormon.

When reading from Edwards' narrative and referring to the similar account from Joseph Smith's history, I pointed out to the class an archetypal pattern each of these religious people followed: a wilderness quest for divine connection. They retired to the woods where they could reflect and where they prepared themselves for encounters with God. Moses went to the mountain, as did Jesus.

A wilderness quest is often a spiritual voyage

This introduces the third part of the next assignment:

3. A Wilderness Quest. In 200-400 words, describe a wilderness quest of your own where you sought out some kind of connection with God or some kind of spiritual resolution. The challenge here will be to try to resist the familiar mode of religious moralizing or simplistic citations of scripture. When in your life has the Bible or other scripture been a personal lifeline?

The three components I've here described could all be connected into a single narrative (on the pattern of Joseph Smith or Jonathan Edwards), but they need not be.

Authenticity and Formulaic Writing
I am asking my students to write formulaically, and this is very problematic in one sense. After all, personal, real, spiritual experience may not happen in terms of the narrative genres described here. Indeed, that is highly likely. But as was discussed in class, we should not disparage writing that follows a set form. Religious rituals follow forms that do not by themselves guarantee that their participants have the correct frame of mind or that they experience anything meaningful -- and yet they still do provide an avenue for many to have spiritual experiences. These forms of religion (like ordinances, sacraments, and rituals) invite a religious or spiritual experience, they do not demand or control that experience very much. So, in the same way, do literary forms provide an opportunity for authenticity, even when highly artificial. By trying to frame one's life in terms of patterns that have often worked well in reflecting the real experiences of others, one may discover these to be a fruitful and appropriate vehicle for their own experiences (even if the author would never have approached writing in this way without the formal model).

Later we will review all that has been written in this generative phase of prewriting, and we will look to connect and perfect the drafts into genuine essays.