Subject: (whorl) Revelation-BOTLS

From: Alice Turner <akt at attglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 15:15:51 +0000

This is from -Grace Abounding-, the autobiography of John (-Pilgrim's
Progress-) Bunyan. This happens on a Sunday: "as I was in the midst of a
game of Cat, and having struck it one blow from the Hole, just as I was
about to strike it the second time, a Voice did suddenly dart from
Heaven into my Soul, which said, -Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to
Heaven, or have thy sins and go to Hell?- At this I was put to an
exceeding Maze. Wherefore, leaving my Cat upon the ground, I looked up
to Heaven, and was as if I had, with the Eyes of my understanding, seen
the Lord Jesus looking down on me, as being very hotly displeased with
me, and as if he did severely threaten me with some grievous Punishment
for these and other my ungodly Practices."

Bunyan is famously Protestant, of course, but very famous too. Leaving
aside the accusatory nature of his revelation, doesn't it seem more than
coincidence that Silk, too, should be struck just in the middle of a
game? The game is called "tip-cat" according to the OED and is played
thus: A small piece of wood tapering at each end, used in the game of
tip-cat, etc.; it is hit at one end by the cat-stick, and made to spring
from the ground, and then driven away by a side stroke. Bunyan is among
the citations.

-alga

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From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes <ddanehy at siebel.com>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 13:00:28 +0000

This is cool. Whether or not it is an actual "reference," it's interesting
to observe a few contrasts - aside from the non-accusatory nature of Silk's
enlightenment, for example, the fact that Silk then continues and wins his
game. I don't know if this is exactly a Catholic difference, but it does
seem related to Silk's later observation -- from memory, my copy is at home
-- to the effect that "perhaps that is what free will is: the grace of being
permitted to co-operate with what is going to happen anyway." There is a
kind of casualness to Silk's enlightenment, the sense that, okay, he's been
enlightened, and now everything is different (for him), and yet everything
is still the same...

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From: James Jordan <jbjordan4 at home.com>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 15:20:58 +0000

It certainly seems more than a coincidence! Very interesting.

Nutria

At 03:15 PM 5/29/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>ranjit at moonmilk.com

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From: Endymion9 <endymion9 at mindspring.com>
Date: Wed, 30 May 2001 15:45:36 +0000

Blattid wrote:
>There is a kind of casualness to Silk's enlightenment, the sense that,
okay, he's been
>enlightened, and now everything is different (for him), and yet everything

This seems very accurate from my experience.  It shows me that Wolfe knows
how *true* enlightment really affects people.

1.  Silk is changed and knows he is changed.  Althought externally nothing
has really changes, it is very hard to shake his belief in what he knows has
happened to him because as Christian author/speaker Leonard Ravenhill used
to say, "You have your theories, but I've lived it, man!".  Silk sees things
differently now.  It's his attitude that is affected.

2.  Silk is not intent on explaning his enlightment to others or convincing
them to see and experience his enlightment.  Althought he can't help talking
about it to others due to his excitement, his enlightment is for him and
affects him.  It affects others through his actions, but not through his
argueing, debating or cajoling others to also accept it.

Dennis/Endy
http://home.mindspring.com/~endymion9/index.htm