Flannery O’Connor, the American novelist and essayist, was born on March 25, 1925. She was a faithful Catholic whose stories reflected the darkness of the human condition yet always resolved redemptively. Yet many Christians may be shocked by many of the elements of her writing, a intentional act on O’Connor’s part intended to wake up her readers.

On the Centenary of her birth it was my honor to have as my guest for a full the esteemed Flannery O’Connor scholar Dr. Ralph Wood, Emeritus University Professor of Theology and Literature at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he taught from 1998-2021. Dr. Wood is the author of two books on O’Connor:

Flannery O’Connor and the Church Made Visible: A Revolutionary Witness for the Sake of the Gospel

Flannery O’Connor and the Christ-Haunted South

Here is the audio of my hour-long conversation with Dr. Wood on March 25, 2025:

Ralph Wood on Flannery O’Connor: Part One

Ralph Wood on Flannery O’Connor: Part Two

Ralph Wood on Flannery O’Connor: Part Three