Posted by PS on July 23, 2004 at 15:12:18:
In Reply to: Re: J-JJJJ-JJJ-J-J-J posted by cav, formerly j mc, to avoid confusion with j on July 23, 2004 at 09:58:58:
: : : But to get back to the original subject, I believe C.S. Lewis' work was so amazing BECAUSE he chose to let his creativity flow and to acknowledge the inspiration he received. He's not alone either, there are many artists--giants of human culture, who were directly influenced by their faith.
: : J,
: : Who, in your opinion are some of these giants? I'd love to hear more about this, since I like your perspective. This discussion is beginning to remind me of a bonafide old school hifidelity string. Not least among the reasons being that some of the original minds are at work here. So, who do you feel are some of the giants? And while you're at it, why do you feel they are gigantic? Yours, Bill
: Lewis & Tolkien, these two are obvious
: John Bunyan- who wrote the Pilgrim's Progress which has been translated to more languages than any other book second only to the Bible
: Aldo Leopold- who started the conservation movement which was the foundation for much of our American ethic toward the environment (as small as it is.)
: Thoreau- his writings began the creation of western mindset
: John Muir- followed Thoreau in a more wild setting
: Alexander Solzhenitsyn- who revealed to the world the horrors of Stalin's gulags and how faith can make us strong.
: The list continues
: Of course we could add Ghandi, Mandela, MLK, Black Elk, Francis, Luther, on, and on.
: All of these people operated, or operate, in a firm faith. All of these people have made significant contributions to the world or Western Culture. Some have even become part of the mythos and paradigm of our society. We don't know where the ideas come from but we hold them to be true... and it was these guys who started it.
You could of course add Dostoevsky and Tolstoy, who, though 19th-century contemporaries, are quite different as to how their faith informed their fiction. I generally prefer Dostoevsky, who is less agenda-explicit in his portrayals of the dark side of human nature and faith in juxtaposition. I say juxtaposition, because some see a portrayal of faith in the context of fallen humanity, and others see a portrayal of fallen humanity in the context of faith. It works both ways (assuming one recognizes the salvation themes at all).