What's the Road to Damascus?

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Why: In The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides (our very first Book Club book, and Orlando just confessed he is way behind in it):

Michael Zipperstein had come to Brown thirty-two yeas earlier as a New Critic. He'd inculcated the habits of close reading and biography-free interpretation into three generations of students before taking a Road to Damascus sabbatical, in Paris, in 1975, where he'd met Roland Barthes at a dinner party and been converted, over cassoulet, to the new faith.

It's one of those things that I see all the time, but I don't know what it means. I live in a whirled I don't even understand.

Answer: It's the road that Saul the Christkiller was on when he realized he wanted to be Paul the Apostle! Pre-Damascus Expy, Saul hated Christians and generally just wanted all of them dead. He even voted to stone Stephen, the first Christian martyr. He was headed to Damascus to do some good ol' persecuting when suddenly, he was enveloped by a bright light!

He fell to the ground and heard a voice say, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Who could it be?

I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Wait, what?

Anyway, that day on that long and winding road, Saul's life took a great big turn. He converted - he was no longer Saul the Destroyer to Paul the Spreader of Good News, eventually suffering persecution of his own. He wrote lots of words that are in the New Testament, and he also taught us that what you hate today may be something you love tomorrow. Kind of like my journey with avocados.

Luv u

In lit'rature, a "road to Damascus" can represent a religious conversion or a profound change in attitude or belief. Damascus is the capital Syria.

Source: Daily Bible Study, Double-Tongued

The More You Know: But what o what is cassoulet? It's a bean stew or casserole! It has meat in it, usually pork. Make your own.