From: "James Wynn" 
Subject: RE: (urth) The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt
Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2002 14:24:56 -0500

Ah! Yes. Here's the quote:
JJ: The holy slaves [Heirodules], Famulimus or one of them tells Severian
that he is the center of his race, the savior of his race. That is such
Christlike language you can see why interpreters would say well Severian is
a Christ figure. But is there a Christ figure in the book, or is he simply
for this universe?
GW: In so far as there is a Christ figure it is Severian. That doesn't mean
he has to be identified with Christ. He is in a position similar to that of
Christ. But really it is a different position because Christ really is both
God and man. Severian is not. Severian is a Christian rather than a Christ.
But he is been taken as the representative of humanity by whom humanity is
to be judged. This I think is what has happened perhaps with the actual
human Jesus. He is or was is as fully human as you or I and we are saved by
Him. By the fact that he passed. That the corruption did not destroy Him. I
think that St. Paul is absolutely correct when he says that Jesus was
tempted in all the ways that we are tempted. I think that Jesus was tempted
to commit murder or any other sin that you want to name just as the rest of
us are. And the difference is that He did not sin.
-- Crush

-----Original Message-----
From: Dan'l Danehy-Oakes [mailto:ddanehy@siebel.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 11:02 AM
To: 'urth@urth.net'
Subject: (urth) The Saga of the Urth Mailing List: An Excerpt

A final correction    to the "facts" used by Crush:

> But in my heart of hearts I believe Wolfe concocted this
> explanation to rescue himself from having to constantly justify
> theologically everything in the BOTNS. I DO recall that he
> denied Severian is Christ. He said he was a "Christ figure", but
> that's merely a literary term.

Actually, he went a step further than your memory, Crush -- he
actually denies that Severian, or any of his protagonists, are
"Christ figures," and insists that they are rather "Christian
figures." I believe that the distinction is made fairly clearly
in the interview Wolfe gave to James Jordan, to which a link was
posted in this group within the last day or so.

--Blattid



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