The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt

James Wynn · 12 Jun 2002, 13:31 · from urth-v0206.mbox · original

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From: "James Wynn" <crushtv at HotPOP.com>
Subject: RE: (urth) The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 08:31:17 -0500
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I agree. Actually, I think the operative sentence here is "Severian is a
Christian rather than a Christ." Although, to me for some reason, saying
Severian is a Christian is a more jarring statement than saying he's a
Christ.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes [mailto:ddanehy at siebel.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 5:51 PM
To: 'urth at urth.net'
Subject: RE: (urth) The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt

Crush:

I suppose this is a question of interpretation... To me, the "in so
far as there is a Christ figure" seems to me to be a way of saying
that there really isn't, but if you have to find one, Severian would
be it.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: James Wynn [mailto:crushtv at HotPOP.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 12:25 PM
> To: urth at urth.net
> Subject: RE: (urth) The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt
>
>
> Ah! Yes. Here's the quote:
> JJ: The holy slaves [Heirodules], Famulimus or one of them
> tells Severian
> that he is the center of his race, the savior of his race.
> That is such
> Christlike language you can see why interpreters would say
> well Severian is
> a Christ figure. But is there a Christ figure in the book, or
> is he simply
> for this universe?
> GW: In so far as there is a Christ figure it is Severian.
> That doesn't mean
> he has to be identified with Christ. He is in a position
> similar to that of
> Christ. But really it is a different position because Christ
> really is both
> God and man. Severian is not. Severian is a Christian rather
> than a Christ.
> But he is been taken as the representative of humanity by
> whom humanity is
> to be judged. This I think is what has happened perhaps with
> the actual
> human Jesus. He is or was is as fully human as you or I and
> we are saved by
> Him. By the fact that he passed. That the corruption did not
> destroy Him. I
> think that St. Paul is absolutely correct when he says that Jesus was
> tempted in all the ways that we are tempted. I think that
> Jesus was tempted
> to commit murder or any other sin that you want to name just
> as the rest of
> us are. And the difference is that He did not sin.
> -- Crush
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes [mailto:ddanehy at siebel.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 11:02 AM
> To: 'urth at urth.net'
> Subject: (urth) The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt
>
> A final correction    to the "facts" used by Crush:
>
> > But in my heart of hearts I believe Wolfe concocted this
> > explanation to rescue himself from having to constantly justify
> > theologically everything in the BOTNS. I DO recall that he
> > denied Severian is Christ. He said he was a "Christ figure", but
> > that's merely a literary term.
>
> Actually, he went a step further than your memory, Crush -- he
> actually denies that Severian, or any of his protagonists, are
> "Christ figures," and insists that they are rather "Christian
> figures." I believe that the distinction is made fairly clearly
> in the interview Wolfe gave to James Jordan, to which a link was
> posted in this group within the last day or so.
>
> --Blattid
>
>
>
> --
>
>


--



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