Comments on: Sexual Freedom, Pullman’s Atheism and Christian Humanism

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:35:51 +0000

Although the Narnia books had a profound influence on me as a child, I regard only one of his novels as great: Till We Have Faces. Although it seems that his intentions with this book were as allegorical as any of the Narnia books, the myth of Psyche and Eros seems to have insisted that he tell it properly, so that instead of allegory, a multiplicity of layers of meaning resulted. Some of the prose may still be lumpy, but for me the overall effect is profoundly moving.

So far Pullman hasn’t come near that kind of depth — he stays somewhere more intellectual and manipulative, like his version of the Yahweh as gnostic demiurge. I’ll have to get back to you on this after I’ve reread HDM (it’s been a while), but the trilogy before, by the second book I began to feel him intruding on his own work in disturbing ways — where I began to think, “Eek, he seems kind of creepy…thank god I don’t live in his world, he’s kind of an icky god himself.”

Anyway, I’d be curious what Pullman makes of Ursula Le Guin, whose writing — though she too sometimes has an axe to grind — has the soul (not just the intellect) that is gives wholeness to moral vision (or maybe better, it’s what transforms theological argumentation into moral vision).

This is what I’d like to see emerge in Pullman’s work: more generosity and more soul. Maybe it’s time for him to leave the Judeo-Christian tradition behind and move on to Taoism or something else that gives him some breathing room.

By: CAndiron

CAndiron — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:10:02 +0000

Mark Plus (btw, are you an Episcopal priest?) “It looks to me like you’ve created false alternatives between god-centered and man-centered world views.”

I think you’ve confused what one holds as the center of his devotion with the means one uses to live out that devotion.
Atheists who ‘center their world views on impersonal nature’ and ‘incorporate insights from evolutionary psychology’ are really man-centered, they just tend to use more elements from the evolutionary toolbox as they live out their man-centeredness. I’m assuming you’re not asserting that these atheists actually worship facts of nature, or the theory of evolution.

By: Luce Imaginary

Luce Imaginary — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:04:36 +0000

And one more thing: Pullman does *NOT* say that original sin is associated with sexuality, at least not in _His Dark Materials_, and I doubt that he does elsewhere. The Atlantic article you’re citing has several factual errors that a careful author would not have generated.

By: Luce Imaginary

Luce Imaginary — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:57:17 +0000

“How should I approach these guys who are obviously smart, but think they have a grasp on the meaning of Scripture?”

Try treating them with respect, and if they can make devent arguments for their opinions, treat those with respect as well, even if you disagree.

By: Luce Imaginary

Luce Imaginary — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 21:56:08 +0000

“That said, my biggest problem with Pullman is not that he argues all of the above, but that he’s not that great a writer and a poor storyteller who has the audacity to compare his work to Lewis’. He couldn’t hold a candle to Lewis.”

I’m sorry, but I find Lewis’ prose turgid and his stories leave me cold. He is a famous writer, not a great one.

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 17:19:16 +0000

That hasn’t stopped flakes from reading without understanding, then pushing their take on it onto the rest of us. (See “I’m Not On This Bus”.)

By: Michael Spencer

Michael Spencer — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:16:49 +0000

I think it was CS Lewis who said that the Bible is a book for grownups and if you couldn’t read it as such perhaps you ought to not read it.

By: Guy

Guy — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:11:52 +0000

One of my professors at my University actually thinks that the fruit in the Genesis myth is about Infanticide. Here is a link to his recently published book:

http://www.amazon.com/Infanticidal-Logic-Evolution-Culture/dp/087413952X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195085399&sr=8-1

Any thoughts?

How should I approach these guys who are obviously smart, but think they have a grasp on the meaning of Scripture?

By: Tope

Tope — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:38:24 +0000

Patrick –

I’m not actually implying anything about my understanding of Christian teaching on sin! I’m just stating what I understand to be Pullman’s point of view.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 22:50:20 +0000

Tope,

You imply that Christianity has taught that the first sin was the knowledge of good and evil. CHOOSING the knowledge over God’s will for us not to know was the first sin. Blameshifting (blaming God in fact) was the second sin. All sin is choosing our own personal desire over God’s perfect will.