Andrew Lang, ORU
A Door into Progressive Theology: Creative and Destructive Expressions of Faith in Joan Slonczewski’s The Highest Frontier
Slonczewski =
Evolutionary biologist, Quaker, feminist, hard science fiction author
2-time Campbell Award Winner
A Door Into Ocean 1987
Advanced race on water world. Moon around alien planet. Genetically engineered planet and themselves, so all female.
The Highest Frontier 2012
I reviewed and she prompted me with questions.
On her blog:
“argues the cold equations:
No energy source on Earth, even wind or solar, will save our planet. In the long run, no power source is sustainable…
Democracy as we know it is finished… We’ll be tossing a coin—perhaps the only thing left a coin is good for. … we send our children to die. … planet that’s dying is their future. …“The Cold Equations,” with a twist—spaceship Earth is in the hands of [a] girl.”
She challenged us to reverse the roles… a female pilot and a male stowaway.
Not much talk about religion aspects.
That is the question she asked me to look at when she asked me to review it.
The religion is very stereotypical.
Centrist: politically conservative, literalists… First Firmament Church
p. 16 “Your last day on Earth, before heading up to college at the firmament.” Firmament, the Centrist word for hollow…”
Unity: politically liberal, theologically liberal (First Church Reconciled)
“brilliant ball of light drew attention to the podium. There stood a priest… Roman-Anglican Church. ‘Chaplain Clarence Flynn’- Father Clare.” P. 82 (This is the character I think is related to the author. She sees herself as Father Clare.)
“God the Father and Mother… bless the undertakings of all us humans here in orbit around our precious Earth… creatures of time. We begin at our beginning and place ourselves in Your loving care unto the end.” P. 83
president… even better than his spouse, the chaplain. p. 84
Notes from ORU 2015