The Devil in a Forest

James B. Jordan · 19 May 2009, 17:53 · from 2009-May.txt.gz

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From: jbjordan4 at cox.net (James B. Jordan)
Date: Tue, 19 May 2009 12:53:41 -0500
Subject: (urth) The Devil in a Forest
In-Reply-To: <4A12C26E.1070002 at verizon.net>
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	<4A12C26E.1070002 at verizon.net>
Message-ID: <20090519175338.EHMQ8364.eastrmmtao105.cox.net at eastrmimpo02.cox.net>

At 09:30 AM 5/19/2009, you wrote:
>I think there is more to it than just how sneaky his propaganda is. 
>Sure, Wolfe is propagandizing, as always---but he doesn't just 
>propagandize for a narrow segment of the political spectrum, and he 
>rarely makes things as black and white and baldly allegorical as you 
>seem to suggest. Rather, he asks questions and examines the moral 
>aspects of the range of answers.

To be sure. And remember, tDiaF is written for teens, not adults. I 
doubt if there is any teen fiction anywhere that does not try to 
educate in some direction.

In fact, I doubt if there is any fiction anywhere that does not come 
from some perspective, and therefore can be said to propagandize for 
that perspective.

For instance, I don't think Wolfe wrote the Severian quintet in order 
to propagandize, but it is certainly the case that he is presenting 
the notion that resurrection and a new world can only come on the 
other side of very serious destruction and judgment, brought about in 
response to serious malfeasance; and that it is the God who sent the 
Theoanthropos long ago who does this kind of thing. It's not a 
Santa-claus cozy liberal Christianity, but it is a Christian 
viewpoint. A "severe Christian" who writes a story about serious 
matters is just going to write in this manner.

FWIW

Nutria

James B. Jordan
Director, Biblical Horizons
Box 1096
Niceville, FL 32588
http://www.biblicalhorizons.com 
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