Christianity and Pynchon

[Terrance]

Otto wrote:
> 
> Logocentrism is what dominates our society. Religion is part of that.

Whatever you want to call it is fine with me. 


> 
> >
> > Give it break! It's not gonna go away!
> >
> 
> What is going away?

The fact that TRP's novels were written not by a Muslim, not by a
Buddhist, not by a Shintoist, not by Jew, but by a christian and his
texts take up the christian religion more than any other religion or any
other topic for that matter. This is not difficult stuff, but obvious. 


> 
> >
> > Pynchon's next novel (oh come on those
> > in the know) will take up christianity more than his previous novels. '
> >
> 
> I get the impression that you've talked to him about the next novel. All the
> information I have is that it will be (among other things of course) about
> mathematics.

My information is that it will take up religion, specifically the
christian religion. 
Based on the 4 novel the author has written, this seems a reasonable
assumption. V., GR, VL, and M&D all take up religion, specifically the
christian religion. 


> 
> >
> > Is that possible?
> >
> > oh thee of little faith !!!
> >
> 
> Yes! We're just evolved protoplasma.


Maybe, but the point is, you don't want to admit what is clearly written
on the page in front of you or the facts that have been amassed by the
biographical critics of TRP's fiction. That's OK. It is not really all
that important. Paul, with his tongue in Doug's cheek (yes, that one)
would have it that TRP must be crazy if he is a christian--some kind of
crazy christian. Like, how could anyone who has read Freud still be a
christian?   Why must one be nuts to be a christian? Lots of brilliant
men were and are. Lots of great american authors were and are. 

We don't know if TRP is a christian in the faith. That is, one who
professes a belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on
the life and teachings of Jesus. 

Doug will say that TRP's texts demonstrate a loving, even christian
concern for others, but such statements tell us nothing. 

TRP was raised a christian. This is so obvious to any person that has
ever read his books. Moreover, his books take up religion, specifically
the christian religion, as a major topic.  

My information is that he continues to practice and participate in the
christian mass. If he is now or was a believer in jesus is not something
anyone, perhaps even his own wife, knows. It's not, and may never be
important to his literature as far as I am concerned. Melville was a
christian too. But we don't what Melville believed. But no critic would
ever say that melville or pynchon was not a christian. It's a stupid
thing to say or to argue about. Both were raised as chrisitians, not as
buddhists or in any other religion.