People of the Book links to an essay that argues for the compatibility, perhaps even the advantage, of a Catholic sensibility in the literary realm.
Teaser sentence: “Without a sacramental theology, and specifically a theology of sacramental action, Protestant writers cannot do justice to this world or show that this world is the theater of God’s redeeming action.”
This put me in mind of John Updike’s Introduction to Soundings in Satanism (can you tell I once had a contract to write a book on the devil?). The intro begins: “Most of the contributors to this volume are Catholic or European or both; an American Protestant feels an understandable diffidence at leading such a parade, as it confidently marches from the mustering ground of biblical exegesis into the weird mashes of possession, exorcism, and witchcraft and onto the familiar firm terrain of psychopathology and literary criticism…Can evil be a personal, dynamic principle? The suggestion seems clownish; instinctively, we reject it. If we must have a supernatural, at the price of intelluctual scandal, at least let it be a minimal supernatural, clean, monotonous, hygenic, featureless – just a little supernatural, as the unwed mother said of her baby…Alas, we have become, in our Protestantism, more virtuous than the myths that taught us virtue; we judge them barbaric.”
Yes, there’s an advantage to a Catholic sensibility in any sort of narrative endeavor–e.g., film.
I’ll turn it over now to Barb Nicolosi (who reads Godsbody all the time).
Has any one ever read Silence?
I think that it would make a beautiful movie. I know who owns or owned the screen rights to it.
Scorcese is working on making the film now. Have yet to read, but read and enjoyed Scandal, which he wrote much later. (The book deals with death and porn…)
I have a Christian mole under deep cover in Hollywood. For the purposes of this comment let’s refer to him by his codename “Falkner”.
Anyway three years ago, I am reading Silence and all I see in my mind are these magnificent sweeping panoramic shots of the landscape, hear little or no music soundtrack, nothing but silence and rich green Japaneese country side. I hear the work of simple tools tilling the earth, perhaps the noise of livestock and children. Running water, and surf. Visual contrasts between the Shogun and the serf. Underlying all this is Jesus Christ and the tension/sword that he brings to this world.
It hits me like a diamond bullet, no one could have heard of this book. I contact Falkner. I say, “William mortgage your house and buy the rights to this book. It will make an amazing film.” So Falkner gets his “people” to run a title check (or whatever they do) on the book. He comes back with the sorry news that Scorcese bought the rights. Boy that sucked.
So my production company is now called “Day Late and a Dollar Short Productions”. You want a piece of the action Matt?
I’ll buy in for a dollar. That way, you won’t be a dollar short any more.
Cube, I’d be grateful if you would put Falkner on to this blog. I’m about to post something on behalf of Fallen Man Pictures.
Matthew, Mark, Cube and Yawn:
Re: Updike and Satan.
Mr. Hawhthorne, call your custom house: it appears your daughter just murdered the myth with her barabaric charity…
Blessed Rose, pray for us…
JOB
p.s. I’m tempted to say something about the cancer in the rose…
Addendum:
My apologies: apparently she’s only venerable.
JOB