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I'm teaching a HS course at a Christian co-op, and have had The Picture of Dorian Gray on the booklist since last summer. I see it as a Faustian story, a classic, and very much a moral tale (underneath its trappings). And one which can provoke many conversations as a Christian. But as with a few other stories, I've had a family express concerns about their child reading it. I do leave final decisions up to the families, but always try to give them a bit more perspective.

Any opinions out there before I discuss with parents? Has anyone else taught this in a Christian co-op?

 

Posted (edited)

I have done Picture of Dorian Gray with a Christian co-op. It was not a problem.

BUT... I always have disclaimers everywhere on everything. Esp. before families sign up, I provide the list of books, and what themes/ideas are in the books and that we will compare each books themes/ideas with Christian themes.  I was especially worried a few years back when I did an intro to film analysis class -- before class sign-up, I handed each parent a list of the films (with the year made, so they would know which version we would be watching), and gave them a week to look up each film, and then they had to sign a permission slip that they understood that these were the films, and that they were okaying their student to watch and discuss the films.

I am as transparent as possible about everything I do with my classes, and if a parent suddenly got partway into the class and had objections, I would work individually with them to either have the student stay out for the class(es) that the book was being covered, and offer an alternative that the student could do at home, OR, would offer a partial refund (if it happened before the halfway point of the semester), and the student withdraws.

However, I think that I am very blessed with the families who have participated, as I've never encountered any issues about the books (or films), or lesson materials that I create for the class. 😄 

 

ETA -- You will need to include the following info before starting the book, as it is very helpful to understanding the themes in the book, and how ultimately, it is, as you say, a very moral tale (literally, "the wages of sin are death"):

Key Information About the Author:
Oscar Wilde embraced the art philosophy of aestheticism, an idea that he encountered early in his college years. A few years later in his college experiences, he had an audience with the Pope that caused him to eagerly read about Church teachings and very nearly join the Catholic church, but, while he was interested in the "mysticism" of the Church rituals, as well as the artistic architecture and inner decor, he was unwilling to pledge himself to any formal beliefs. For many years, Wilde was deeply influenced by a book by that focused on experiencing everything to the fullest by detailing many sensual pleasures. Wilde carried the book for years, even memorized parts, saying "…that book has had such a strange influence over my life."

Important Terms/Ideas in the Story

Aestheticism was an intellectual and art movement of the 19th century that claimed beauty, rather than deeper meanings or moral themes, was of prime importance in art, music, and literature. The artists and writers who followed this movement believed that works in the arts should create sensuous pleasure, rather than communicate a message. They rejected the idea that the arts should be something moral or useful —"Art for Truth's sake"—and instead, they held that art only needed to be beautiful—"Art for Art's sake".

Decadence, or the decadent movement, was a late 19th century view of the arts emphasizing  "…excess and artificiality, and was filled with… general skepticism, delighting in perversion, and … a belief in the superiority of human creativity over logic and the natural world" (Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decadent_movement).

Hedonism is the philosophy that pleasure and happiness are the most important goals in life. A hedonist strives to maximize pleasure, while minimizing work and pain.

Edited by Lori D.

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