2 quoted lines
Dan'l originally wrote:
I often wonder what non-Christians see in him, but then I wonder that about Lewis too (and have atheist friends who are positively rabid, or rabidly positive, about Narnia, so go figure).
Let us not forget that there are plenty of "Christians" who hate Narnia. Good old Jack T. Chick who writes and draws those perversely fascinating hardcore born-again tracts about little kids who listen to rock & roll and become satanists has denounced the Narnia series in his tract on the evils of fantasy role playing games.
I don't consider myself a Christian, though I cannot help but be influenced by Christianity, since our culture is rich with it and my folks were both nominally Protestant. I have read the bible as literature and myth and I have known and loved many people who do call themselves Christians. I am unquestionably influenced by Christian thought and I live in a nation founded by Christians. As a child I pledged allegiance to my country, under God.
Although it's not a perfect fit, I can say that I enjoy the Christian aspects of Wolfe's fiction as I appreciate good Gospel music or Reggae music (both of which I love) without being a Christian or a Rastafarian. Perhaps that music brings me a little closer to those faiths as well.
I can certainly recognize the Christian elements in Wolfe's fiction, even when they're somewhat obsucre, the "resonance" is felt, which is exactly what Wolfe intends, I think, in the same way that he chooses his old and obscure words: he knows that we can probably make an educated guess at their meanings but he also encourages us to look further, to look the words up. And so it is with his Christian themes.
Shellac
*This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.