GR: Help with the Preterite and Elite

[Ghetta Life]

"Preterite" is not a theological term, but is of the same root as 
"preterition" which is.  "Preterite" is the past-tense form of a verb 
describing something belonging in the past.  "Preterition" is a Calvinist 
concept meaning one who has been "passed over" in the distribution of god's 
grace, thus by His neglect remaining in damnation.  The funny thing about 
being "passed over" is that it a term also shared by Judaism referring to 
those “passed over” by the Angel of Death at the original Passover.  In this 
case those who were passed over are those who were saved.  I’m sure this 
double meaning was of interest to Pynchon.

The Calvinist usage is the one of interest here.  It is the result of Calvin 
logically taking the concept of an omniscient and omnipotent God to the 
reasonable implication that everything occurring in his Creation is his 
ultimate responsibility, especially the salvation of the Elect, because it 
is by “grace,” meaning not in any way earned by the recipient.  In this case 
his neglect of those damned is not considered God’s responsibility, a 
failure of logic that Pynchon is here exploiting.  These kind of logical 
absolutes are just what he love to deconstruct.

Ghetta


>From: Paul Mackin <paul.mackin at verizon.net>
>
>On Nov 3, 2005, at 8:18 PM, Billy Internicola wrote:
>>
>>I understand that Pynchon has borrowed his conception of the  preterite 
>>and elite from protestant theology, which I am pretty  well familiar with. 
>>  I assume that Pynchon is not interested in the idea as it was  conceived 
>>and as it pertains to faith.
>
>One thing I've wondered is whether the word "preterite" as opposed to  
>"preterition" is also a Christian doctrinal term. Dictionaries don't  seem 
>to define it in that sense but only as pertaining to the   past  or 
>substantively as the grammatical past tense.

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today it's FREE! 
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/