Behold The Man by Michael Moorcock
The Nantucket Trilogy by SM Stirling
The Time Patrol series by Poul Anderson
There Will Be Time by Poul Anderson
Past Times by Poul Anderson
Somewhere on Stirling's Nantucket, the question is asked: if time travellers go BC and prevent Christianity, will they thus also prevent salvation? A question for Christian theologians. Knowing them, indeed knowing people in general, they will give different answers.
The Time Patrol
"'England will be one kingdom, with Saxon strength and Roman learning, powerful enough to stand off all invaders. Christianity is inevitable, of course, but I will see to it that it is the right kind of Christianity, one which will educate and civilize men without shackling their minds.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Time Patrol" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, December 2010), pp. 1-53 AT 5, p. 40.
"'Maybe you don't know how much Christian belief and ritual is of Mithraic origin, but believe me, it's plenty. Not to mention Judaism, which you, Cyrus the Great, are personally going to rescue. Remember?'"
-Poul Anderson, "Brave To Be A King" IN Time Patrol, pp. 55-112 AT 7, p. 87.
"....without the balance-of-power effect of Rome, the Syrians did suppress the Maccabees; it was a near thing even in our history. Judaism disappeared and therefore Christianity never came into existence.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Delenda Est" IN Time Patrol, pp. 173-228 AT 4, p. 197.
"...how could I in honesty have argued for a heathenism in which I had no belief and which I knew was going under? For that matter, how could I in honesty have argued for Christ?"
-Poul Anderson, "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth" IN Time Patrol, pp. 333-465 AT 1858, p. 404.
"'Patrol units are concentrated on guarding 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....'"
-Poul Anderson, "Star of the Sea" IN Time Patrol, pp. 467-640 AT 2, p. 492.
"'...this goddess would be the supreme figure, around whom everything gathered. She would give folk as much, spiritually, or almost as much, as Christ could. Few would ever join the Church.'"
-ibid., 11, p. 568.
"The habits of disguise took over. Koch crossed himself, again and again. Or maybe he was a sincere Catholic."
-Poul Anderson, The Shield Of Time (New York, July 1991), p. 313.
One Patrolman cannot in honesty argue for Christ but another might be a sincere Catholic.
There Will Be Time
"'...what he was, or if he was, makes only an academic difference. What counts is what people through the ages have believed. My life expectancy isn't enough for me to do the pure research I'd like.'"
-Poul Anderson, There Will Be Time (New York, 1973), VI, p. 56.
A thirteenth-century man-at-arms who tries to rescue the Saviour is stunned by the question:
"'How do you know that man really was your Lord?'" (p. 62)
"I do not know if my friend ever looked upon Jesus." (p. 64)
Past Times
"Thank you, Holy Father. This holy fire you have given us - we must never let it die."
-Poul Anderson, "The Little Monster" IN Anderson, Past Times (New York, November 1984), pp. 142-163 AT p. 163.
A bit cryptic in parts, maybe? OK. Just read them all.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
A bit surprised you did not include "The House of Sorrows" and cite parts of its poignant ending.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Because I can't think of everything! But that fits as well.
Paul.
Universalistic religions came in the 600's BCE to 600's CE period. They had to appeal to people across cultural and ethnic lines, and they were more oriented to ordinary people. Before then, religion was mostly part of your tribal identity.
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: Granted, no one can remember everything.
Mr. Stirling: I would argue that the beginnings of that universalism can be found even in pre-Exilic Judaism. Beginning with the unyielding monotheism preached by Moses and the prophets. Also, the conversion of the pagan Naaman the Syrian to faith in YHWH after being healed by Elisha is a hint of that universalism. Esp. when the prophet did not object to Naaman saying he would sometimes have to attend his king at pagan rites.
I also recall how well Chesterton thought of Zoroastrianism in THE EVER-LASTING MAN. After Judaism/Christianity Chesterton considered Zoroastrianism the most many of all other religions. And I was surprised when you told us Christianity was well on the way to converting Sassanid Persia in the early 600's.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: Yeah, Judaism developed monotheism, but it was an intensely 'tribal' religion for most of its early period. There was a penumbra of people attracted to Judaism for its monotheistic aspect, but repelled by the intricacy of Jewish taboos. They formed an early basis for Christianity.
As I understand it, Paul preached in synagogues and was chased out, taking some God-fearers with him.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: Of course, because that was the will of God, to gradually reveal Himself first to what became the Jews. And that revelation continued with the "writing prophets" expanding that in a universal direction. Culminating with Christ and the Catholic Church.
Yes, after the Exile and Diaspora of the Jews, Judaism attracted a penumbra of Gentiles who became monotheists but mostly did not formally convert, the God Fearers.
Paul. True, but it did not start with St. Paul. It was Peter who first began the opening to the Gentiles, beginning with Cornelius the Centurion.
Ad asta! Sean
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