I'm gonna ask the question....

Paul Mackin mackin.paul at verizon.net
Tue Apr 12 12:41:34 CDT 2011


On 4/12/2011 12:48 PM, Erik T. Burns wrote:
> >And I'm going to be difficult and ask those
> >gaddisites who may know not to answer....
> I'm going to answer because my answer is "I don't know".
> And to be honest, I don't care.
> There is a man in _T R_ who proclaims his religion. I am bridled from 
> revealing it, but it is funny.
> A-and as far as I am concerned, that's Gaddis' religion: comedy.

Once upon spending the night in Georgetown University Hospital, a very 
nice Jesuit Priest stopped by my room to chat.  I told him that I was 
NOT a believer.  He asked, are you an atheist.  No, I answered.  Then, 
are you an agnostic? No, again. I'm not trying to be coy, Father, I 
said.  But when people ask me if I think God exists I can only honestly 
(I think) say that I don't understand the question.

What does "God" even mean?   And by the same token what is a Christian?

So I guess my answer to the question at issue is I don't understand the 
question. (or can I make myself understand)

I do wish I could or did practice the Christian virtues.  I'm afraid I 
don't, very much.  Many do, both who do and who do not call themselves 
Christians.  Like them (or many of them) I am very much a product of 
Western Civilization, so Christianity has had a decided effect on who I 
am.  A long period of time elapsed between the fall of Rome and 1789.

But even with things relative au courant, Christianity still has its 
sway.  I would say that the movement (or whatever it is) of Post 
Modernism--with its emphasis on the inclusion of all cultures and points 
of view--is without question Christian influenced.

Yeah, I guess Gaddis IS a Christian (in a manner of speaking)

P


> etb
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 12, 2011 at 3:35 PM, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com 
> <mailto:markekohut at yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
>     And I'm going to be difficult and ask those
>     gaddisites who may know not to answer....
>
>     Spoiler.
>
>     Let's see what the reading brings.
>
>     So far, I'd say he's anti-Christian BUT it has
>     been said of John Milton, Christian, he was on
>     Satan's side in his major work.....
>
>     And then there is Gaddis Eliot love----
>
>
>
>     ----- Original Message ----
>     From: Richard Ryan <himself at richardryan.com
>     <mailto:himself at richardryan.com>>
>     To: Pynchon-L <pynchon-l at waste.org <mailto:pynchon-l at waste.org>>
>     Sent: Mon, April 11, 2011 10:10:34 PM
>     Subject: I'm gonna ask the question....
>
>     ...since we're all begging it: is Gaddis a Christian author?
>
>
>
>     --
>     Richard Ryan
>     New York and the World
>     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
>     Thanks to everyone who saw VTM's new production!
>     www.kingstheplay.com <http://www.kingstheplay.com/>
>
>

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