Entry tags:
Books 2010: someone has a theological issue
Books 2010: 45
45. David Weber, A Mighty Fortress.
The latest installment in the Safehold series. Not as interesting as By Heresies Distressed, but the ratio of seabattle technicalities to character wasn't too one-sided.
Something I have noticed, in Weber's work, and something which has come explicitly to the fore particularly in the last two Safehold books, is his concern with God. The Honor Harrington books aren't entirely devoid of it, and the Bahzell books (I liked Bahzell, and I still think it's a pity there're only three of them, since - for a wonder - they actually managed to be self-contained), inasmuch as it's possible to do so in a fantasy universe where the gods and their works are explicitly manifest, showed a level of it as well.
But the Safehold books are making it obvious that Weber is strongly attached to something akin to what I suspect my old theology profs would characterise as 'works righteousness.' (They tended to be sympathetic to the so-called 'New Perspective' on Paul, but that's a digression for another day.) Which is to say, all the many sympathetic characters with a religious occupation in the Safehold books act in ways which make them seem nigh unto saintly, while the religious characters with whom we are not supposed to sympathise - the 'bad guys' - act in quite frankly horrific ways, and their outward piety is depicted as a mere cloak or a self-deluding cover for their ambition and avarice.
It's a simplistic dichotomy, and leads me to consider that Weber might be trying his hand at writing as much parable as novel - particular since the premise upon which the series is based is that the entire religion of Safehold is constructed out of lies. Weber is asking, essentially - and occasionally, explicitly, through his characters - whether or not the form of the religion or belief matters as long as the deeds are good.
(He seems to be on the side of deeds, and against hypocrisy, so I'm inclined to give him a pass on the heavy-handed dwelling on a universalistic deity.)
I'm inclined to suspect that's question which might be more pressing for certain sections of an American audience (USians? What do you think?), as from my perspective I'm not entirely sure what to make of all the banging on about what is pleasing unto God. (Being more along the lines of an Abomination Unto Nuggan myself.) I'm pretty sure there's a story somewhere underneath the moralising and the seabattles, though, so I'll hang on and look out for what he does next.
P.S. My lack of wholehearted enthusiasm for Mr. Weber's work should not be construed to imply that it was not entertained. Yea, verily, I was entertained unto the small hours.
But dear sweet godless heavens, the man has a Thing for religions. And seabattles.
45. David Weber, A Mighty Fortress.
The latest installment in the Safehold series. Not as interesting as By Heresies Distressed, but the ratio of seabattle technicalities to character wasn't too one-sided.
Something I have noticed, in Weber's work, and something which has come explicitly to the fore particularly in the last two Safehold books, is his concern with God. The Honor Harrington books aren't entirely devoid of it, and the Bahzell books (I liked Bahzell, and I still think it's a pity there're only three of them, since - for a wonder - they actually managed to be self-contained), inasmuch as it's possible to do so in a fantasy universe where the gods and their works are explicitly manifest, showed a level of it as well.
But the Safehold books are making it obvious that Weber is strongly attached to something akin to what I suspect my old theology profs would characterise as 'works righteousness.' (They tended to be sympathetic to the so-called 'New Perspective' on Paul, but that's a digression for another day.) Which is to say, all the many sympathetic characters with a religious occupation in the Safehold books act in ways which make them seem nigh unto saintly, while the religious characters with whom we are not supposed to sympathise - the 'bad guys' - act in quite frankly horrific ways, and their outward piety is depicted as a mere cloak or a self-deluding cover for their ambition and avarice.
It's a simplistic dichotomy, and leads me to consider that Weber might be trying his hand at writing as much parable as novel - particular since the premise upon which the series is based is that the entire religion of Safehold is constructed out of lies. Weber is asking, essentially - and occasionally, explicitly, through his characters - whether or not the form of the religion or belief matters as long as the deeds are good.
(He seems to be on the side of deeds, and against hypocrisy, so I'm inclined to give him a pass on the heavy-handed dwelling on a universalistic deity.)
I'm inclined to suspect that's question which might be more pressing for certain sections of an American audience (USians? What do you think?), as from my perspective I'm not entirely sure what to make of all the banging on about what is pleasing unto God. (Being more along the lines of an Abomination Unto Nuggan myself.) I'm pretty sure there's a story somewhere underneath the moralising and the seabattles, though, so I'll hang on and look out for what he does next.
P.S. My lack of wholehearted enthusiasm for Mr. Weber's work should not be construed to imply that it was not entertained. Yea, verily, I was entertained unto the small hours.
But dear sweet godless heavens, the man has a Thing for religions. And seabattles.