"The habit of disguise took over. Koch crossed himself, again and again. Or maybe he was a sincere Catholic." (p. 313)
Is it possible for a Time Patrol agent to be a sincere Catholic, i.e. to believe that the Resurrection of Christ was a historical event, that a dead body not only revived but also was transformed, became immortal and was later seen to ascend into the sky? Then why does Carl Farness ask:
"...how could I in honesty have argued for Christ?"
-Poul Anderson, "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 333-465 AT 1858, p. 404.
The Patrol must know what happened. Concerning the Jewish War in 69-70 AD, Manse Everard reflects:
"'Patrol units are concentrated on protecting Palestine. You can well imagine what emotions are engaged, through how many centuries. Fanatics or freebooters who want to change what took place in Jerusalem, researchers crowding in and multiplying the chances of a fatal blunder, and the situation itself, the near-infinity of causes radiating into that episode and effects radiating out from it....I don't pretend to understand the physics, but I can sure believe what I've been taught, that the continuum is especially vulnerable around such moments. As far away as barbarian Germany, reality is unstable.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Star of the Sea" IN Time Patrol, pp. 467-640 AT 2, p. 492.
If that is true of 69-70 AD, the surely it is even truer of circa 33 AD? Is it a matter of physics? If reality is unstable not only in Germany but, even more so, in Palestine, then is it all the attention by time travellers that causes something unusual to happen?
Anderson maintains ambiguity.
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
More simply put, IMO, this reflects Anderson's own doubts and hesitations. I mean, he was agnostic in the sense of not being SURE Christ is truly GOD as well as man.
If some Patrol agents were sincere Catholics, that leads me to thinking they KNEW, from Patrol sources, that Our Lord rose from the dead, etc.
As we know, from many of his stories, Anderson respected Christianity and Judaism. My personal opinion is that his later works gives us hints suggesting he at least wished he believed in God.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But, if the Resurrection were KNOWN to have happened, then it would no longer be a matter of faith.
Paul.
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