Gene Edward Veith writes on Stephen King’s The Stand, due to the 30th anniversary of its publication (subscription req.) King said the novel was a “long tale of dark Christianity.” Veith notes a few positives amid the horror and ugliness, but there is no Christ figure in The Stand, which makes it difficult to call it “Christian.”
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Woah. What about Mother Abigail? Not necessarily a Christ-figure, but definitely a Christian prophet.
What about “The Hand of God” which smites those in Las Vegas?
I don’t know that it is necessary to have a “Christ-figure” for a book to be Christian. Sometimes Christ is whispering behind the scenes in characters’ lives, etc.
I probably said that too strongly. Not every story needs a Christ figure to be legitimately called a Christian story, but I think certain ones do, especially if the author says they are about Christianity. It isn’t enough to have a god in the story to make it Christian. They should be avenue for redemption, even if it never works.
But there was an avenue for redemption … for Harold or so it seems to me. Also for Nadine. They both had moments when they instinctively felt that they needed to STOP, that they were at crucial points beyond which there was no return … and they deliberately chose evil. They still could have thrown themselves on their fellows mercy and changed but they didn’t. There was room for redemption.
As well, Larry (?, the musician) chose good. He was a morally vague figure but had to choose which way he could continue to go. His was a great sacrifice for everyone else when searching for the bomb. It always seemed to me to be a story of redemption for him. The four friends who go on the trek to Las Vegas are putting themselves on the line for their friends and families, based on the words of Mother Abigail (God’s prophet) and three of them pay the ultimate sacrifice …
I think you’re putting way too many strictures if you really agree that this isn’t a Christian story. But then, I feel that Tokyo Godfathers is a very Christian tale …
No, I can’t argue it strongly. Sorry. You may see the book very clearly, and bravo for it.