MDMD(8) Christ true Pity

[Doug Millison]

At 12:18 PM 9/15/97, Sojourner wrote:
>Many sects of Christianity believe the complete opposite, even
>Catholics (or universalists hahahahah *laughs till cries*).  Christ
>came to Earth precisely BECAUSE the lord was impossible to
>comprehend, so He formed a Man, with Two Arms, and Two Eyes,
>with Two Hands to lay on us, to Speak with a Human Tongue,
>and to Walk on Two Legs just like you and me.

On this same page (231), Pynchon mentions a "long sorry Silence"  -- which
(in addition to the interpretation more closely focused on the Jesuits,
which I suggested in a previous message) can also be interpreted as that
period of time since (as Christians believe) Christ came to Earth and
became a person to show us the extent of human potential and the depth of
God's grace. In the presence of priests who have wouldn't know "a moment of
Transcendence in his life, nor would re-cognize one did it walk up and bite
yese in the Arse,--" humans can only "jump and whimper like Dogs".  Of
course Catholics and other Christians believe they know exactly what Christ
expects, based on scripture and the traditions that have come down. In this
passage ("Christ's true Pity") I think Emerson expresses a cynical view
both of priests and of the deeper Christian belief that through direct
experience of Christ (in prayer, through direct revelation, Paul struck
blind on the Damascus road, for example) we can "catch the Trick of it".
This fits in with the well-elaborated theme and discussion of Christian
theology that underpins M&D -- and I'm looking forward to reading the
articles/books from the scholars(s) who have the time to trace it out, put
it in context, and interpret it.

D O U G  M I L L I S O N ||||||||||| millison at online-journalist.com