Gnostic Wolfe

DSG20001 · 10 Oct 2002, 23:57 · from urth-v0210.mbox · original
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From: DSG20001 at aol.com
Subject: (urth) Gnostic Wolfe
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2002 19:57:28 EDT
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In a message dated 10/10/2002 9:43:11 AM Pacific Daylight Time,=3D20
straight at email.unc.edu writes:

If Whorl=3D3DGarden and Pas=3D3DGod, then Outsider=3D3D???

The view that religion and politics aren't subjects for polite conversation=
=3D20
doesn't appear to be a view Gene Wolfe fans can casually adopt. (Which may=
=3D20
account for a great deal of his appeal.)

I don't know nearly enough about the various Gnostic doctrines, but the mor=
e=3D
=3D20
I do learn about them, the more affinities I notice between certain of thos=
e=3D
=3D20
doctrines and the BotLS.=3D20

I suppose readers must take Wolfe at his word when he confesses that he's a=
n=3D
=3D20
orthodox Catholic--while keeping in mind that at least some elements of his=
=3D20
theology are decidedly nonorthodox. For example, his belief in the (prior?)=
=3D20
existence of pagan gods and goddesses.=3D20

I'll leave to the theologians on this remarkable list the question of wheth=
e=3D
r=3D20
Wolfe's additions lean toward the heretical or merely the eccentric. But in=
=3D20
appraising his works, particularly the BotLS, it might be useful to pursue =
i=3D
n=3D20
a little more depth what appear--at first blush, anyway--to be striking=3D20
similarities between Wolfe and Gnostic thought.=3D20

The online Gnostic Library (http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/library.html)=3D20
includes an introductory page written by a Gnostic Bishop. The above=3D20
speculation, "Whorl=3D3DGarden and Pas=3D3DGod, then the Outsider=3D3D???" =
is addr=3D
essed=3D20
there in a remarkable fashion: Whorl=3D3DGarden and Pas=3D3Dthe God of all =
Creat=3D
ion,=3D20
the God of the material world, the God outlined in the Old Testament, then=
=3D20
the Outsider=3D3Dthe Unknown God who is the true focus of Gnostic revelatio=
n.

=46rom the introduction:

"The blame for the world=3DE2=3D80=3D99s failings lies not with humans, but=
 with t=3D
he=3D20
creator. Since -- especially in the monotheistic religions -- the creator i=
s=3D
=3D20
God, this Gnostic position appears blasphemous, and is often viewed with=3D=
20
dismay even by non-believers."

A fairly lengthy excerpt from the intro page is particularly tantalizing in=
=3D20
light of Patera Silk's "enlightenment" by the Outsider--and in light of=3D20
Wolfe's own attitude toward "true myths" in his work:=3D20

"GNOSTICISM IS THE TEACHING based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence=
=3D20
arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means. Although Gnosticism thus=3D=
20
rests on personal religious experience, it is a mistake to assume all such=
=3D20
experience results in Gnostic recognitions.=3D20

"It is nearer the truth to say that Gnosticism expresses a specific religio=
u=3D
s=3D20
experience, an experience that does not lend itself to the language of=3D20
theology or philosophy, but which is instead closely affinitized to, and=3D=
20
expresses itself through, the medium of myth. Indeed, one finds that most=
=3D20
Gnostic scriptures take the forms of myths. The term 'myth' should not here=
=3D20
be taken to mean 'stories that are not true,' but rather, that the truths=
=3D20
embodied in these myths are of a different order from the dogmas of theolog=
y=3D
=3D20
or the statements of philosophy...The True God of transcendence is unknown =
i=3D
n=3D20
this world, in fact He is often called the Unknown Father. It is thus obvio=
u=3D
s=3D20
that revelation from on High is needed to bring about salvation.=3D20

"The indwelling spark must be awakened from its terrestrial slumber by the=
=3D20
saving knowledge that comes 'from without'...in the Gnostic Gospel of Thoma=
s=3D
,=3D20
Jesus answered that human beings must come by Gnosis to know the ineffable,=
=3D20
divine reality from whence they have originated, and whither they will=3D20
return. This transcendental knowledge must come to them while they are stil=
l=3D
=3D20
embodied on earth."=3D20

As to the myriad "intermediate deific beings" that inhabit Wolfe's universe=
:=3D
=3D20

"The basic Gnostic myth has many variations, but all of these refer to Aeon=
s=3D
,=3D20
intermediate deific beings who exist between the ultimate, True God and=3D20
ourselves. They, together with the True God, comprise the realm of Fullness=
=3D20
(Pleroma) wherein the potency of divinity operates fully."

I'll be puzzling over these affinities for some time and would certainly=3D=
20
appreciate "enlightenment" from those more familiar with Gnosticism than=3D=
20
myself.

Dan


--=20
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Content-Type: text/html; charset=3D"UTF-8"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Language: en

<HTML>In a message dated 10/10/=3D
2002 9:43:11 AM Pacific Daylight Time, straight at email.unc.edu writes:

If Whorl=3D3DGarden and Pas=3D3DGod, then Outsider=3D3D???

The view that religion and politics aren't subjects for polite conversation=
=3D20=3D
doesn't appear to be a view Gene Wolfe fans can casually adopt. (Which may =
a=3D
ccount for a great deal of his appeal.)

I don't know nearly enough about the various Gnostic doctrines, but the mor=
e=3D
 I do learn about them, the more affinities I notice between certain of tho=
s=3D
e doctrines and the BotLS.=20

I suppose readers must take Wolfe at his word when he confesses that he's a=
n=3D
 orthodox Catholic--while keeping in mind that at least some elements of hi=
s=3D
 theology are decidedly nonorthodox. For example, his belief in the (prior?=
)=3D
 existence of pagan gods and goddesses.=20

I'll leave to the theologians on this remarkable list the question of wheth=
e=3D
r Wolfe's additions lean toward the heretical or merely the eccentric. But =
i=3D
n appraising his works, particularly the BotLS, it might be useful to pursu=
e=3D
 in a little more depth what appear--at first blush, anyway--to be striking=
=3D20=3D
similarities between Wolfe and Gnostic thought.=20

The online Gnostic Library (http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/library.html) inc=
l=3D
udes an introductory page written by a Gnostic Bishop. The above speculatio=
n=3D
, "Whorl=3D3DGarden and Pas=3D3DGod, then the Outsider=3D3D???" is addresse=
d there=3D
 in a remarkable fashion: Whorl=3D3DGarden and Pas=3D3Dthe God of all Creat=
ion,=3D20=3D
the God of the material world, the God outlined in the Old Testament, then =
t=3D
he Outsider=3D3Dthe Unknown God who is the true focus of Gnostic revelation.

=46rom the introduction:

"The blame for the world=3DE2=3D80=3D99s failings lies not with humans, but=
 with t=3D
he creator. Since -- especially in the monotheistic religions -- the creato=
r=3D
 is God, this Gnostic position appears blasphemous, and is often viewed wit=
h=3D
 dismay even by non-believers."

A fairly lengthy excerpt from the intro page is particularly tantalizing in=
=3D20=3D
light of Patera Silk's "enlightenment" by the Outsider--and in light of Wol=
f=3D
e's own attitude toward "true myths" in his work:=20

"GNOSTICISM IS THE TEACHING based on Gnosis, the knowledge of transcendence=
=3D20=3D
arrived at by way of interior, intuitive means. Although Gnosticism thus re=
s=3D
ts on personal religious experience, it is a mistake to assume all such exp=
e=3D
rience results in Gnostic recognitions.=20

"It is nearer the truth to say that Gnosticism expresses a specific religio=
u=3D
s experience, an experience that does not lend itself to the language of th=
e=3D
ology or philosophy, but which is instead closely affinitized to, and expre=
s=3D
ses itself through, the medium of myth. Indeed, one finds that most Gnostic=
=3D20=3D
scriptures take the forms of myths. The term 'myth' should not here be take=
n=3D
 to mean 'stories that are not true,' but rather, that the truths embodied =
i=3D
n these myths are of a different order from the dogmas of theology or the s=
t=3D
atements of philosophy...The True God of transcendence is unknown in this w=
o=3D
rld, in fact He is often called the Unknown Father. It is thus obvious that=
=3D20=3D
revelation from on High is needed to bring about salvation.=20

"The indwelling spark must be awakened from its terrestrial slumber by the =
s=3D
aving knowledge that comes 'from without'...in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas=
,=3D
 Jesus answered that human beings must come by Gnosis to know the ineffable=
,=3D
 divine reality from whence they have originated, and whither they will ret=
u=3D
rn. This transcendental knowledge must come to them while they are still em=
b=3D
odied on earth."=20

As to the myriad "intermediate deific beings" that inhabit Wolfe's universe=
:=3D
=20

"The basic Gnostic myth has many variations, but all of these refer to Aeon=
s=3D
, intermediate deific beings who exist between the ultimate, True God and o=
u=3D
rselves. They, together with the True God, comprise the realm of Fullness (=
P=3D
leroma) wherein the potency of divinity operates fully."

I'll be puzzling over these affinities for some time and would certainly ap=
p=3D
reciate "enlightenment" from those more familiar with Gnosticism than mysel=
f=3D
=2E

Dan</HTML>

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