The Problem of Pain: Thoughts -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 14:01:24 02/21/08 Thu
Author: CS Holden
Subject: The Problem of Pain: Thoughts

In his chapter "Human Wickedness" in "The Problem of Pain," Lewis writes, "To keep ever before us the insight derived from such a moment...to learn to detect the same real inexcusable corruption under more and more of its complex disguises, is therefore indispensable to a real understanding of the Christian faith" (59). This seems to jive well with Girard's idea of Christianity as the usurper of the mythological structures of other religions, the religion whose texts try to unravel the violent-sacred model. The "moment" Lewis describes is one of self-awareness, sudden consciousness of "mean and ugly action" for which humans are responsible, but which they tend to blame on God. Lewis is trying to unravel the lie that "God does evil" by pointing out that "people do evil."

I think he also touches on Ritual, and how Christianity diverges from "normal" religious cycles in terms of the role of time in regard to redemption. He writes, "We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin" (61). This belief, it seems to me, is a pillar in the structure Girard wants to expose. Even if, as we discussed in class, everyone in a society agrees that a sacrifice eliminates the need for more violence, there's the question of time. The explanation may work for now, but the next generation will have its own trials, and the vague memory of the previous sacrifice will encourage a reenactment. As Lewis points out, time cannot cancel sin or guilt (he means in the individual sense, but extrapolates it to a truism). However, like Girard, Lewis points to the Christic model of salvation as that which unravels the Ritual structure: "The guilt is washed out not by time but by repentance and the blood of Christ... It may be that salvation consists not in the canceling of these eternal moments but in the perfected humility that bears the shame forever, rejoicing in the occasion which it furnished to God's compassion and glad that it should be common knowledge to the universe" (61).

A final quote from Lewis, which I found kind of fun and ironic: "We must guard against the feeling that there is 'safety in numbers'" (62).

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Re: The Problem of Pain: Thoughts -- Katelyn R., 16:50:54 02/24/08 Sun