hello! and a little on religious orthodoxy

maa32 · 27 Feb 2001, 12:09 · from whorl-v0012.mbox · original

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From: maa32 <maa32 at dana.ucc.nau.edu>
Subject: (whorl) hello! and a little on religious orthodoxy
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 12:09:52
Message-ID: <whorl-v0012-0383 at digest.urth.net>
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I normally only post to the Urth list, but due to the minimal amount of=20
congress there in recent weeks I have decided to subscribe to the whorl lis=
t=20
as well. The recent trend in religious discussion is very interesting to me=
,=20
and as a practicing Catholic I think that Wolfe's creations are more=20
effectively interpreted with an orthodox perspective in mind (I don't buy i=
nto=20
the "death of the author" very much, or even the somewhat New Critical conc=
ept=20
of a text as something completely independent of the author's intentions). =20
Positing Lombard's quaternity for Quadrifons is, I agree, extremely unlikel=
y=20
from the most precursory examination of the creeds Wolfe must recite=20
incessantly (one in being with the Father, etc).  These creeds reaffirm the=20
denial of heresies (homo- vs. hetero- ousious)  All of Wolfe's novels play=20
with religious symbolism to a greater or lesser extent (the apples before t=
he=20
fall down the stairs at the beginning of Peace, for example, or the title o=
f=20
the same novel, which I believe comes from the plea: Lamb of God, you take=20
away the sins of the world; Lamb of God, grant us peace).
 I think the most interesting question one can ask is whether or not Wolfe=20
seriously considers the doctrine that at the true resurrection the body and=20
the spirit are reunited in perfection.  In this orthodox understanding of t=
he=20
resurection, the body cannot be seen as an evil and flawed temporal constru=
ct,=20
but as a necessary component of perfection.  How should we consider=20
disembodied "souls" like Horn or even (at times) Mucor?  Are they the total=20
being? Is the soul enough? For a fascinating discussion of the relation=20
between the "real" identity of a man and the parts of his body, Ultan's=20
lecture to Severian at the beginning of Shadow is an ideal place to start.=20
(can the smallest finger of a man contains his whole essence, etc).  At the=20
end of The Urth of the New Sun, it is very clear that Severian's soul has b=
een=20
hoisted from one body to another.  Is he the same Severian in essence witho=
ut=20
that body, or are they inextricably linked?  I think the same kinds of idea=
s=20
are being thrown around when we consider "Horn" in Silk.
Marc Aramini

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