(i) In the Ransom Trilogy, the author and the central character are Christians whereas, in Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization, the author is agnostic and a few of the many characters are Christians. In this respect, the Technic History parallels James Blish's After Such Knowledge Trilogy but that would be one too many comparisons for this post.
(ii) While still at school, I read Lewis' popular theology even before his fiction. No doubt a distinction should be made between what Lewis believed and the details of how he presented it in fiction. For example, he believed that unFallen races were possible and, in one novel, described an unFallen Venerian race but without any attempt at a scientifically accurate account of Venus. Nevertheless, I am confident that a considerable degree of Biblical literalism was central to his faith as well as to his fiction.
(iii) Lewis definitely believed that:
human reason resulted from divine intervention, not from natural selection;
the very first human beings knew of their relationship to God but nevertheless made a wrong moral choice/sinned/fell;
consequently, all their descendants constitute a Fallen race;
an unFallen race would be not only impeccable but also physically immortal (!);
nevertheless, being in complete control of their bodily functions, they would control population growth.
(iv) In the Ransom Trilogy, Lewis presents the Fall as a merely Terrestrial affair. On Mars, three mortal rational species live in a state of natural goodness under angelic governance whereas the Venerians are self-governing unFallen human beings descended from a single couple. It seems that Terrestrials are also descended from a single couple. Hence, Biblical literalism. Also, human superiority...
How does this compare with Anderson? Sorry to be episodic, folks, but family responsibilities call so we will continue to consider theology later.
5 comments:
Hi, Paul!
Just a quick note, but I am not sure at all you are right to say C.S. Lewis believed in some kind of human superiority compared to other physically incarnate rational races. After all, I recall reading in his essay "Religion and Rocketry" (which can be found in the collection THE WORLD'S LAST NIGHT) how Lewis said the Incarnation and birth of our Lord as a man implied or meant a demerit, defect, or depravity in mankind. If mankind had not fallen, there would have been no NEED for Our Lord to become Man, die on the Cross, or rise from the dead.
As to how this ties in with Poul Anderson, I only need to say he himself agreed with me on how imperfect mankind is, an imperfection he attributed to either Original Sin or to us being imperfectly evolved chimpanzees. I said "with me" because we were discussing such issues in one of our exchanges of letters.
Sean
Sean,
Human superiority was in the Ransom Trilogy, not in Lewis' beliefs. Martians were mortal and angelically ruled whereas Venerian human beings were immortal and self-ruling.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
Oops! Sorry, I misunderstood! It's been a long time since I read the Ransom Trilogy, but aren't the intelligent races of Mars in those books also Fallen? My thought being that mortality means one's race is Fallen.
Sean
Sean,
This is where Lewis diverges from what you and I understand as Christian doctrine. He presents the Martians as living naturally good lives without conflict, accepting guidance from eldila and decisions from Oyarsa (all under Maleldil, of course), accepting also that they die (without any period of senility), after which Oyarsa dissolves or disintegrates their bodies. They seem to have natural goodness but not supernatural grace - to use the Christian terms.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
Thanks! Very interesting, what you said about the Martian races seen in FROM OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET. Darn, how did I miss what you described? I hope I'm more careful to note such ideas and details the next time I read FOOTSP.
Sean
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