Dr. Sonya Cronin, one of the most well-liked instructors on campus, currently teaches in the Religion Department with her two classes, “Gospel of John” and “Religion and 20th Century Fantasy Literature”. Her hometown is right here in good old’ Tallahassee.
HC: For starters, were you a big fantasy fan as a child? What books did you read?
SC: Yes, I was, but I didn’t think of it as fantasy then. I was much younger, and the fantasy literature market wasn’t then what it is now… Whether the books mold the child, or the child is attracted to certain books, I don’t know. However, as a really young child I was introduced to Richard Scarry and Beatrix Potter, and I have loved “imaginational” literature ever since. On a technical level, J. R. R. Tolkien would tell us that these are not classic “fairy stories” but considered beast fables because the animals talk and exist like humans, and there are no humans prominent in the tales. These are nonetheless my first adventures into fantasy literature. My favorite books were by Gyo Fujikawa, who mixed illustrations of children, animals, and fairies into books with simple prose and lots of poetry. Later, I enjoyed Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Wrinkle in Time series, Terry Brooks’ world of Shannara, and Orson Scott Card’s Enderverse. One of my all-time favorites is Frank Herbert’s Dune series… I have always enjoyed science fiction such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and Battlestar Galactica… I am partial to fantasy that inspires hope and is fun. Fantasy that makes you want to visit the imaginary world depicted is great; fantasy that is scary or depressing is not so great. I would love to go to Hogwarts, and I sincerely hope that parts of heaven look like Rivendell and…Lothlorien (Lord of the Rings).
HC: What made you want to become a teacher?
SC: I don’t know that I ever consciously decided to be a teacher. I continued doing what I loved (religious studies) and just kept learning. Somewhere after completing the M.A. and going on for the PhD, the opportunity to teach came up and I figured I could pass on some of what I learned and see if higher education was right for me. It turns out that I love teaching, so it is a good fit.
HC: How many years have you been teaching?
SC: 11 years.
HC: Why do you think students are so eager to take your “Harry Potter” class?
SC: There are a number of reasons. First, the material is just fantastic. Last I checked, the Harry Potter series had sold over 450 million copies… People love this series. It has literally changed the world; the existence of butterbeer and college quidditch teams is proof of that. The class is officially called “Religion and 20th Century Fantasy Literature,” and we cover other series as well, one of which is Lord of the Rings, which also has a huge fan base. I personally love this material, so between the excitement of students coming into this class and myself, the energy is just great.
The story that this class explores is bigger any of the individual series we study. In the preface to one of the editions of The Hobbit, a man named Peter Beagle tells the story of searching for four years for a copy of Lord of the Rings back in the late 1960’s after reading the New York Times review of it. He called that time period a “barren era for fantasy.” Now you can find Lord of the Rings just about anywhere and in various prices, sizes, and covers. It is no longer a barren era for fantasy. Today there are entire bookstore sections devoted to fantasy, so much so, that fantasy is now divided into subsections: elves and fairies, witches, dark magic… vampire romance, shape-shifters, etc. One of the things we explore is “why.” Why is fantasy so popular? J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, two of the authors we explore in the class, have strong opinions as to why fantasy is so appealing… One of the main things that makes studying this material so interesting is that it is a medium by which these authors explore deeper theological and philosophical questions, which is why this works so well in a religion department. Is there a divine presence in the world? Does providence orchestrate life events? Do ethics matter? What happens after we die? The authors’ own religious beliefs and era in which they wrote affect their opinions on these questions, and we see them played out in the stories they write.
So, to use the Harry Potter series as an example, we don’t just sit around and discuss whether Harry is a Christ-figure, but we look at Rowling’s own life history, the tradition of British fantasy writing, and the potential biblical and theological influences that undergird her works. Furthermore, while we enjoy the reading, we also learn how to analyze text. We put the novels in the context of a bigger picture, both socially in terms of culture wars over witchcraft in children’s literature, as well as religiously, evaluating themes such as the quest for eternal life and the nature of the soul, especially in light of the horcrux.
HC: What is some advice you would give to students for succeeding here at FSU and beyond?
SC: 1.) Make A’s. A’s=choice. With A’s you get recommendation letters, you have a shot at graduate school if you choose, and you get in the habit of performing well. For many folks, the difference between A’s and C’s is a couple of hours of effort, in terms of more work on assignments or projects, and/or studying for exams. Put in the extra hours. If you need more help, FSU has resources available such as tutoring and writing labs. Make use of these things; your fees already pay for some of them. FSU has these services available because they want you to succeed. 2.) This brings me to my second point even though I teach religion and not nutrition: eat at least 2 healthy meals a day, and get no less than 5-6 hours of sleep (really try for 8). This seems like an obvious, but without anybody forcing this upon you, sometimes these areas suffer when you get to college. It’s hard to think and therefore perform well if your body is tired. 3.) Remember why you are in college. You are here to acquire higher education, and earn a degree. Some students have to work to stay in school. This is hard, but remember, if you are enrolled in school, make school your priority. Don’t skip class, keep up the grades, and more importantly, learn the information. Extra-curricular activities, while important, should not be prioritized over classes. Finally, get to know your instructors. Many of them, at least at FSU, are really interested in getting to know you, and will help you if you are struggling. 4.) Finally, regardless of your major, take some classes in the Religion department at FSU. You won’t just learn about religion, you will learn how to think critically, how to analyze text, and how to better understand your world. Our faculty are personable, interesting, and are some of the finest examples of why students come to a research institution like FSU.