Out of Egypt:

provocative thoughts of a mormon science-fiction writer

I read Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card recently. It's certainly odd reading fiction that alludes heavily to Scripture, yet isn't written by an orthodox Christian. Reading fantasy fiction where folk magic and stereotypical characterizations of Calvinist preachers intersect is even odder. Definitely thought-provoking though, and worth reading. The Wikipedians say that the Alvin Maker series parallels Joseph Smith's life in some respects, but I don't see it yet. Guess I really will have to read more of the series, which is unusual for me. I don't often read genre fiction, so I don't often read books that come in series of three or more.

If you go to the Wikipedia article on Card, scroll down to the bottom and follow the link to the article on Card's moral vision, as expressed in Ender's Game. I actually haven't read that book (yet), so the article doesn't make as much sense to me as it otherwise would, but it's still thought-provoking (I really need to find a better word).

I am not as surprised as the author that Card characterizes a school of moral thought which evaluates actions based on their goodness in themselves, rather than on the goodness of one's intentions (the school Card apparently belongs to) as "Calvinist." The WCF's section on the 10 Commandments certainly does this. Jonathan Edwards and his followers, if I understand correctly, did as well. In fact, I think the Scripture itself encourages us to take this rigorist view of moral action. After all, our salvation is a gift of God's grace received by faith - His justification gives us peace, but also reveals that we stands utterly condemned before His holiness, and thus lack all reason for self-justification. (As a sidenote, the author of the article, like everyone who doesn't know anything about Calvinism other than the lies of high school and Max Weber, thinks that Calvinism is the same thing as fatalism. In reality, of course, one action - our belief in Christ - does bring us salvation, though it is not the ground of our salvation. And the elect are the righteous. The tree is known by its fruit.)

Reading Card makes me wonder once again, as Dr. Hesselink asked at the end of 20^th-century Christian fiction, where are the good Calvinist writers? What is it about our faith that makes us so suspicious of art? Is it our catechismal, logical way of thought, our fear of iconography? I, for one, love paradox, the numinous, the iconographic. Perhaps I'm a bad Calvinist; that's why I love art. Maybe England will turn me Anglican. Who knows?

Check out Wovenhand's "Consider The Birds" album for good Calvinist art: "Every knee shall bow and knees will be broken for those who don't know how."

Posted by: Lowen at December 21, 2005 3:21 PM

I highly recommend this church: http://www.stebbes.org.uk/

Posted by: funke at December 21, 2005 4:50 PM

It seems that many of Card's works point to a knowledge of scripture in both their style and content. His "Memory of Earth" also implies a knowledge of scripture, as does the Ender series.
Have fun in England, man.

Posted by: Bmitch at December 23, 2005 6:51 PM