Friday, 11 June 2021

God In Fiction

This is an endless topic but I focus on a few works with which I am familiar.

In Susan Howatch's mainstream Church of England novels, the characters experience life as if God is actively present in it.

In CS Lewis fantasy Narnia series, God is actively present as Aslan.

In Lewis's theological sf Ransom Trilogy, God is actively present as Maleldil.

In James Blish's post-Lewis fantasy novel, Black Easter, demons are unleashed and God is dead.

In Poul Anderson's sf novel, The Game Of Empire, a Catholic priest seeks for evidence of an extraterrestrial Incarnation.

There is a fictional spectrum here.

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7 comments:

  1. Sean M. Brooks12 June 2021 at 07:49

    Kaor, Paul!

    And I believe God is actively present in the world, with the miracles recorded at Lourdes being signs of His activity. To say nothing of me also believing God acts in the world thru His Church.

    Should I assume Susan Howatch is more a high church Anglican, not low church?

    And for a man who called himself an agnostic, we see a surprising amount about God in the works of Poul Anderson. Ranging from sympathetic treatment of honest believers to certain passages in Anderson's works that makes me wonder if he at least wanted to believe in God.

    One example I thought of being Anderson's sympathetic treatment of Cardinal Richelieu in THE BOAT OF A MILLION YEARS.

    Ad astra! Sean

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  2. paulshackley2017@gmail.com12 June 2021 at 08:48

    Sean,

    I am not sure of Howatch's position. Her characters represent the Anglican spectrum.

    Paul.

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  3. Sean M. Brooks12 June 2021 at 08:54

    Kaor, Paul!

    Meaning her novels have low, broad, and high church characters?

    Ad astra! Sean

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  4. paulshackley2017@gmail.com12 June 2021 at 09:32

    Sean,

    Very.

    Paul.

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  5. Sean M. Brooks12 June 2021 at 17:42

    Kaor, Paul!

    Considering how confusing I find Anglicanism, with different groups within it holding beliefsd contradictory to each other, it might be interesting to look up one of her books.

    Ad astra! Sean

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  6. paulshackley2017@gmail.com12 June 2021 at 18:14

    Sean,

    The Starbridge series: GLITTERING IMAGES; GLAMOROUS POWERS; ULTIMATE PRIZES; SCANDALOUS RISKS; MYSTICAL PATHS; ABSOLUTE TRUTHS.

    The St Benet's Trilogy: A QUESTION OF INTEGRITY/THE WONDER WORKER; THE HIGH FLYER; THE HEART BREAKER.

    Paul.

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  7. Sean M. Brooks12 June 2021 at 18:31

    Kaor, Paul!

    Thanks! I've also thought of Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire Chronicles. But Howatch's books might be easier to find.

    Ad astra! Sean

    ReplyDelete