What exactly is the 'Christian moral' in the Anna Karenina book? I've seen adulterers be portrayed as unironic protagonists by non-Christians despite said failure being an important--even essential part of their character.
Especially concerning purgatorio in which each level of limbo is illustrated by a Christian and pagan virtue and vice. Considering the epic combines the various histories of Christians and pagans, I would like to hear how you view such a text in the context of pagan burnout.
Pagan burnout is a great term since it described this thing I experienced but could never really name. I grew up with video games and at how a lot of RPGs have the final boss to be some sort of a "God figure". It happened so often that it became a trope. There's also the Halo series, which as much as I enjoyed it (especially growing up), it recently noticed that it has an aspect of "humans are gods" which I can't unsee now.
As for burnout from Christian works, I think of the Ben-Hur novel. By that, I mean Ben-Hur's revenge against Messala. To Lew Wallace's credit, I think he did write as a Christian. Ben-Hur's desire for revenge against Messala wasn't treated as a good thing, and while Messala was ultimately crippled in the chariot race, that was a result of Messala's recklessness (Ben-Hur just wanted to humiliate Messala by beating him in the race). It would only be by the end of the book that we learn that Messala had been killed, and by that time, Ben-Hur was already a Christian (so presumably he already let that desire for vengeance go).
That said, I always find that revenge subplot made Ben-Hur a little incoherent. I suspect it's because Wallace probably got the premise for Ben-Hur from The Count of Monte Cristo, where revenge is truly front and center. I haven't read it, but based on what I gleamed from the premise (the protagonist was wronged, somehow became rich, and now takes vengeance on all the people who wronged him) and the fact that Alexandre Dumas was a lifelong freemason, I'm sure that work is bound to cause some pagan burnout.
My guess is we will see a lot fewer ‘classics’ in the coming years. Even non-believing authors were very familiar with basic Biblical allegories/archetypes, but I wonder if the novel-writing population is losing that (or maybe not since these types are, as a rule, well-read).
One suggestion: look into what Tolkien and Lewis have to say on this topic. Both quite loved fairy-stories / myth, and Lewis’s conversion is often attributed to an argument from Tolkien that the Incarnation is the only time that “myth became fact”. Lewis also felt that pagan worship had the cultic spirit that was fulfilled in Christianity, just as pagan philosophy had the desire for truth. I would think they both knew how to read pagan works with the right mindset.
“The Lord of the Rings” and Lewis’s “‘Till We Have Faces” are both super good myth with deep Christian themes
What exactly is the 'Christian moral' in the Anna Karenina book? I've seen adulterers be portrayed as unironic protagonists by non-Christians despite said failure being an important--even essential part of their character.
Not to spoil in case you haven’t read it, but the duality cast between Anna & Vronsky and Levin & Kitty I think communicates that moral v clearly
Go ahead and ‘spoil’ it. I’m not going to read it.
Even if you think I should, just tell me anyway.
Excellent article. One question, how would you view the the writings of the divine comedy in view of pagan burnout?
great question! did you have any particular parts of the poem in mind? what I think of is how Paolo and Francesca lusted together over Lancelot
Especially concerning purgatorio in which each level of limbo is illustrated by a Christian and pagan virtue and vice. Considering the epic combines the various histories of Christians and pagans, I would like to hear how you view such a text in the context of pagan burnout.
Pagan burnout is a great term since it described this thing I experienced but could never really name. I grew up with video games and at how a lot of RPGs have the final boss to be some sort of a "God figure". It happened so often that it became a trope. There's also the Halo series, which as much as I enjoyed it (especially growing up), it recently noticed that it has an aspect of "humans are gods" which I can't unsee now.
As for burnout from Christian works, I think of the Ben-Hur novel. By that, I mean Ben-Hur's revenge against Messala. To Lew Wallace's credit, I think he did write as a Christian. Ben-Hur's desire for revenge against Messala wasn't treated as a good thing, and while Messala was ultimately crippled in the chariot race, that was a result of Messala's recklessness (Ben-Hur just wanted to humiliate Messala by beating him in the race). It would only be by the end of the book that we learn that Messala had been killed, and by that time, Ben-Hur was already a Christian (so presumably he already let that desire for vengeance go).
That said, I always find that revenge subplot made Ben-Hur a little incoherent. I suspect it's because Wallace probably got the premise for Ben-Hur from The Count of Monte Cristo, where revenge is truly front and center. I haven't read it, but based on what I gleamed from the premise (the protagonist was wronged, somehow became rich, and now takes vengeance on all the people who wronged him) and the fact that Alexandre Dumas was a lifelong freemason, I'm sure that work is bound to cause some pagan burnout.
My guess is we will see a lot fewer ‘classics’ in the coming years. Even non-believing authors were very familiar with basic Biblical allegories/archetypes, but I wonder if the novel-writing population is losing that (or maybe not since these types are, as a rule, well-read).
One suggestion: look into what Tolkien and Lewis have to say on this topic. Both quite loved fairy-stories / myth, and Lewis’s conversion is often attributed to an argument from Tolkien that the Incarnation is the only time that “myth became fact”. Lewis also felt that pagan worship had the cultic spirit that was fulfilled in Christianity, just as pagan philosophy had the desire for truth. I would think they both knew how to read pagan works with the right mindset.
“The Lord of the Rings” and Lewis’s “‘Till We Have Faces” are both super good myth with deep Christian themes