From: Dan Parmenter <dan@lec.com>
Subject: (whorl) Can I get a witness?
Date: 27 Feb 2001 10:40:20 

Dan'l originally wrote:

> I often wonder what non-Christians see in him, but then I wonder
> that about Lewis too (and have atheist friends who are positively
> rabid, or rabidly positive, about Narnia, so go figure).

Let us not forget that there are plenty of "Christians" who hate
Narnia.  Good old Jack T. Chick who writes and draws those perversely
fascinating hardcore born-again tracts about little kids who listen to
rock & roll and become satanists has denounced the Narnia series in
his tract on the evils of fantasy role playing games.

I don't consider myself a Christian, though I cannot help but be
influenced by Christianity, since our culture is rich with it and my
folks were both nominally Protestant.  I have read the bible as
literature and myth and I have known and loved many people who do call
themselves Christians.  I am unquestionably influenced by Christian
thought and I live in a nation founded by Christians.  As a child I
pledged allegiance to my country, under God.

Although it's not a perfect fit, I can say that I enjoy the Christian
aspects of Wolfe's fiction as I appreciate good Gospel music or Reggae
music (both of which I love) without being a Christian or a
Rastafarian.  Perhaps that music brings me a little closer to those
faiths as well.  

I can certainly recognize the Christian elements in Wolfe's fiction,
even when they're somewhat obsucre, the "resonance" is felt, which is
exactly what Wolfe intends, I think, in the same way that he chooses
his old and obscure words: he knows that we can probably make an
educated guess at their meanings but he also encourages us to look
further, to look the words up.  And so it is with his Christian
themes.

Shellac


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