Fictional Theologies

 The Curse of Chalion has become one of my comfort reads. I don't really want to go into the why's and wherefore's, but I came across a passage I wanted to share here. So I suppose I have to give at least a little background.

Fantasy novels often worldbuild, and how they handle religion is a huge component for it. For the most part I don't really care about that... they're stories, and if sometimes a world has gods and goddesses that seem mostly to be just superpowered humans, well. That's what a lot of Greek and Roman mythology was. (and, in fact, quite a few stories use those gods and goddesses in particular. Like Percy Jackson.)

Others will have pseudo-Christianity, though some is more blatant than others. (You have to read the Silmarillion to discover Tolkien had a rather elaborate Genesis story, and that the names the elves mention are more like archangels and that Gandalf, in fact, is an angel himself.) 

Some have actual Christianity, to various degrees. (Someone said the Harry Dresden books actually portray Christian theology rather well.)

I think portraying deities is one of the harder parts of writing a story. Have them interact too directly and you risk having too many 'Deus ex Machina' plot devices. It can be nice to have more direct contact then we see in real life, but you don't want to overdo it. The opposite extreme is also... well, it won't necessarily ruin the story. You can have them be distant and inaccessible and just come up with some of the philosophical and socio-cultural elements that may influence your world. But that's not really portraying a deity so much as worldbuilding.

So anyways, the Curse of Chalion is a fantasy world with five gods and goddesses, and does one of the better jobs of portraying them.

Actually, what I like is that the characters have these encounters... and they are generally left confused and uncertain, and yet somehow (as it's storytelling with a happy ending) figure it out. 

Anyways, I think I want to share the passage (or maybe break it up and mix up the order and share two) and discuss it a bit before going further. 

Umegat inverted his clay cup upon the cloth. "Men's will is free. The gods may not invade it, any more than I may pour wine into this cup through its bottom."

"No, don't waste the wine!" Cazaril protested, as Umegat reached for the jug. "I've seen it demonstrated before."

Umegat grinned, and desisted. "But have you really understood how powerless the gods are, when the lowest slave may exclude them from his heart? And if from his heart, then from the world as well, for the gods may not reach in except through living souls. If the gods could seize passage from anyone they wished, then men would be mere puppets. Only if they borrow or are given will from a willing creature, do they have a little channel through which to act. They can seep in through the minds of animals, sometimes, with effort. Plants... require much foresight. Or" --Umegat turned his cup upright again, and lifted the jug--  sometimes, a man may open himself to them, and let them pour through him into the world." He filled his cup. "A saint is not a virtuous soul, but an empty one. He - or she - freely gives the gift of their will to their god."

 Obviously this is fictional theology, and shouldn't necessary have anything to do with the real world... but I really like the point it makes about free will. About how we can open a channel and allow God to work through us. 

And I like that the people are are doing this are not somehow having God whisper in their ear, removing all uncertainty and doubt. It's more like upheaval and change, upsetting all their plots and plans. (There was some thing going around on twitter the other day about the Wiccan community trying to hex the Taliban, and really I think  the bit in the Bible from Matthew 5:44 is more appropriate. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" not so much because you're so benevolent and saintly, but because if God comes and disrupts their life it's a blessing that acts a bit like a curse anyway. And ultimately for the better. Like yes... I shall pray for the people  I sometimes call assholes here, and fools. Because if God reaches through to them they'll probably start hearing that blasted inner voice that starts making them question what the hell they're doing and why they're doing it. And if they listen and hear it they'll probably wind up having to leave their asshole ways behind. And really, that's far more disruptive... and ultimately better for everyone... than any hex.)

And yes, I know that's all sorts of mixed messages. "Let me curse them with my blessings" 

That's sort of the dynamic captured by this book, and the other books and novellas in this particular setting.