(urth) The Outsider

[Andrew Mason]

Gerry Quinn wrote:

> (I don't think most people, including Catholic theologians, would be shocked
> by the notion of Incarnations on differnet planets of our universe
> either...)

That is the basis of the (in some circles) well-known Christmas hymn
'Every star shall sing a carol', by Sidney Carter.

On the other hand it is firmly rejected by C.S. Lewis, who seems OK
with the idea of different incarnations in different universes.

None of which, of course, proves anything about Wolfe. I agree that
your reading is the simplest; it fits in with the fact that Severian's
world has a past very (incredibly) like our own, and the clear
existence of a Christianity-analogue there. These can be explained in
other ways; but to insist that they must be seems to me to turn on a
theological assumption that it's not clear Wolfe shares. I'm inclined
to share it myself; but manifestly not everyone does, so I don't
insist on it as a principle of interpretation.