Last week, I posted a short piece on two YA novels, "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan and "A Confusion of Princes" by Garth Nix. In their different ways, both novels show us what a world made of mimetic rivalry looks like. If the Greek and Roman gods are real, as they are in Riordan's novels, and they really are the top divine dogs of the universe, then God help us! These fantasy novels are what a lot of young people (as well as older ones like me) are reading and some of them, as in these two cases, can offer both young readers and older ones insights into mimetic desire. I hope to have a post from time to time commenting on books such as these. Those of you with children who read or are teachers might find this helpful for guiding them to some fun books that help them understand the issues of MT. I am still hoping that the stories I have published will prove to be some help along these lines one of these days. Arachne, Athena, and a Thousand Princes.
This morning, I published a post on the Wedding at Cana in Galilee. Like some other recent posts, this is based on the sermon I am preparing for tomorrow's Eucharist. Working with this cryptic story has helped me see some interesting connections with other passages in John's Gospel. Strange Wedding.
"Cana was a backwater in a backwater, a place of no significance. The temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religion and culture. As with the outcasts at the manger, the party is in the backwater, not the center." Thanks, Andrew: the off-center as true center!
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