There are countless human ideas about the nature of God.  Many express great faith in a loving God who only forgives, perhaps before we have truly forgiven ourselves.  Others see nothing but fire and brimstone and search for God’s vengeance upon their supposed enemies.  As with so many things, extremes of this sort are paved with ignorance and self-delusion.  It is a great mistake to assume that we could ever fit God into a single dimension of human expression. Such narrow visions of God’s nature and presence have a way of crumbling under the light of reason and truth.

Genuine ideals, through which we may obtain the slightest glimmer of divine Truth, are to be found in the equilibrium between opposing natures.  Justice is a divine attribute, and it is the balance to be found between forgiveness and punishment, between mercy and severity.  Let us see how God’s Love transcends and manifests equally in both of these attributes.

Forgiveness and mercy are found in compassion, which is certainly one expression of Love.  We forgive those who have wronged us or those who have wronged those we love (which is by far the greater personal challenge).  We pray that God may forgive in the same manner as that in which we forgive others.  Is there anyone who senses the real weight of this prayer and does not shudder in honest recognition of the judgment we render to others?  It is easy to see why an all-forgiving God is so attractive to the human psyche, but mercy and forgiveness cease to be merciful and loving when they halt or slow the growth and unfolding of divine Will in man.  That growth is what ultimately opens us to God’s immediate presence in every moment of our lives.  That growth brings us truly closer to God.

Wise philosophers have observed that understanding the nature of the world in which we live is one of the most direct ways to come to an understanding of God.  The Glory of the Creator is to be found in Creation.   Perhaps the nearest symbol of God’s Love to be found among the human race is the love that a father or mother keeps for their children.  This love is patient and understanding.  It is forgiving.  However, it also inspires us to support our children’s needs for protection, health, safety, education, and growth.  These instincts are often fulfilled through punishment and severity.

Both of these expressions of love (mercy and severity), should be rendered gently.  Mercy should be tempered by our desire to protect and encourage growth.  Severity should be limited by our compassion.  It is a difficult path to negotiate, and when parents operate outside of these bounds, they actually undermine the desires and motives born of the love for their children.

In times of great distress and difficulty, of struggle, loss, or despair, we are tempted to see God as our enemy working against us in some way.  Examined more closely, the fear, anger, and despair are products of our ego, giving life to our pride, envy, greed, etc.  We torment ourselves in these situations.  Amidst the crisis, there is a quiet voice behind the noise of fear, anger, and doubt encouraging us to rest in the presence of God.  This is God, as our nurturing parent, coaxing us through challenge and adversity, calling for our return.  This is God’s abundant Love expressing itself through severity as through mercy.

As the Psalmist writes:

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

First, it must be said that countless volumes have been written concerning this subject, and I would not dare to suggest that I could provide an adequate summary of the wisdom to be found there.  I only hope, in sharing a few thoughts, to inspire you to reach more deeply in your own use of prayer and suggest some lines of thought that you may further explore on your own.

For a moment, put aside any preconceptions you have concerning the use or nature of prayer.  Many may believe that prayer is something only to be used in group ceremony or during difficult personal struggles, to ask for things (for ourselves and for others), or to ask for a blessing for a meal or event that marks some great change in life.  However, prayer can be so much more, particularly to one who is dedicated to a contemplative or mystical path.

Inspiration
There is something of great power within symbol or allegory, which cultivates thoughts and emotions within us that may not be reached any other way.  The lyrics of a song or the plot of a film may affect us in some unexpected and unintended way.  They may give us clarity about something we are dealing with in our own lives at that moment.  They may inspire us to act upon something we had been long considering or move us to reconcile long-held differences with someone from our past. Likewise, the language of prayer, especially as a regular and frequent practice, amplifies the reality of the ineffable presence of God in our lives and inspires us to tackle the challenges of working on ourselves.  As our awareness of God’s presence increases, we are more likely to tap into the strength, confidence, and reassurance to be found in that presence at any time in our everyday lives when we need it.  In this way, regular prayer continually motivates and empowers us to be, as William Faulkner wrote, “better than ourselves”.

Centering
Many theologians and scholars properly recognize meditation as a form of centering prayer, and while I certainly agree with their conclusions, my focus in this post specifically concerns prayer that is closer to the traditional western understanding, being the use of language (either silent or spoken) to communicate with God.  Centering prayer helps us to stay grounded in our own reality, fully aware of our present situation, and less likely to make mistakes we will later regret.  Many individuals routinely pray every morning or evening, accomplishing this effect to some extent, even if they do not realize it.  However, centering prayer can be extremely valuable at other times in the day when it can have immediate benefit.  When we seem most distracted or become overwhelmed by our emotional reaction to something, a simple phrase, sentence, or passage spoken within or quietly to ourselves helps to center our awareness in that exact moment.  It refocuses us and provides a moment in which to take ourselves off autopilot, to listen to the higher voice within, and disarm the discordant passions that lead us astray.

Transformation
The mystical path is one of constant trial, reflection, and effort, and that often requires that we appeal to a source of strength and wisdom outside ourselves and strain to hear that “still small voice”.  Prayer is an indispensable tool in that process, because it is a pure form of communication with God.  It would be unwise to assume that this communication works only in one direction, even if at the time, we are consciously unaware of the other direction of communication or its effects.  First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing”.  This passage should give us pause when weighing any assumptions or suppositions we maintain concerning the nature of prayer.  It suggests that our individual existence may be transformed; that we have the capacity to make the life we live a form of prayer itself.  How can we do that if we do not work at listening to the divine spark within; to seek and follow the guidance of our higher selves?  Even when we do all the talking, the practice of prayer opens a channel that demonstrates and vitalizes our desire, intention, and capacity to listen to that voice.

All of these considerations suggest that prayer is too important to be limited to pleas for the fleeting and vain desires of the mundane.   What is likely more important is that prayer be offered with the deepest feeling and conviction we can muster and that it springs from the love that we have within.  The specific words we choose may be insignificant when compared with our feeling and presence of mind.  We may use our own words, naked and unrehearsed, and many have suggested that such spontaneous prayer is more meaningful or effective.  Nonetheless, on occasion, the words of others may call to us from the depths of our present sense of awe, joy, love, failure, confusion, loneliness, or pain.  In such times, we may benefit greatly from the prayers that great luminaries of the past have committed to writing.

To that end, I have created a new section of the site here to deposit words of prayer that have inspired my own practice.  They represent the thoughts, hopes, and desires of those who seem to have clearly understood the inspirational, centering, and transformative aspects of prayer.

More will be added there on occasion.

The seven “deadly” or “cardinal” sins have a long and fluid past. There are not specifically codified within the Bible as the most hated or unforgivable sins, though theologians over the centuries have characterized them as such.

They are Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust (or Extravagance), Pride, Sloth, and Wrath.

In the latest news, we now hear that in the interest of renewing or reinvigorating the practices of confession and penance, the list has been modernized by the Vatican to include:

• Environmental Pollution
• Genetic Manipulation
• Accumulating Excessive Wealth
• Inflicting Poverty
• Drug Trafficking and Consumption
• Morally Debatable Experiments
• Violation of Fundamental Rights of Human Nature

I am not going to waste any time here discussing the degree to which any of these activities constitutes unforgivable sin. However, I do want to emphasize what I see as the most striking difference between these two lists and see what knowledge may be found in the comparison.

The original list of transgressions provides us with archetypes of unbalanced or misdirected passion or emotion. From these archetypes, man brings into manifestation real harm to himself and others, both internally and externally. For example, wrath may be the real source, the inner root, or the seed of murder, physical or emotional abuse, arson, or any physical actions that man rightly identifies as evil. It may also lead to any number of actions that man sees as morally grey or even relative. Man is only truly qualified to judge his own actions, and intent is part of the evidence that must be weighed to his credit or discredit. We may sometimes have great difficulty determining, for example, exactly where the line to determine emotional abuse should be drawn, but if we look within ourselves and to our own actions, we know wrath when we feel it. We know lust, greed, or envy when it is there, and when we are most honest with ourselves, we can observe the damage that any of these causes to those around us. They are a clear measure by which we judge and learn from our own behavior.

How small in comparison is the new list of sins when we view the original list this way. I might argue that pollution results from greed or sloth; genetic manipulation and morally debatable experiments from pride and lust, excessive wealth from greed, envy, and lust; infliction of poverty from greed, gluttony, and wrath; drug trafficking and use from greed, gluttony, and lust; and the violation of human rights from pride, sloth, and wrath. Through this analysis, we can begin to see the degree to which the original list of deadly “sins” tells us a great deal about the actual nature of sin.

This new list offers nothing that inspires us to explore and improve our own nature. It does not contain the light of truth. It lacks even the faintest glow of the penumbra. It does nothing to improve upon the original and rather diminishes the truth that might have been found there. This is but the darkest shadow of an orthodoxy and fundamentalism that concerns itself with effects and not causes and often turns away from the light, seeing only the outermost expression of the beauty within its own faith.

Either I convinced you to read the books in spite of the Christian/Catholic outcry or you read them on your own accord. Maybe you are about to begin reading and you would like some symbolic insight before you get started. Regardless, I have already suggested to you some of my high-level interpretations of the symbolism and allegory of His Dark Materials. In this final part of my commentary on the subject, I will review some of my own thoughts and interpretations of some specific story and character elements. As with all discussions of this nature, it only represents my thoughts at this time, and I welcome all constructive comments or feedback. However, you must keep in mind the way I originally opened this discussion. This interpretation is mine, and I am free to read the story as I choose, regardless of the author’s intent. Likewise, you are free to see in this allegory whatever you choose to see.

Dust
The Dust is a quasi-material/astral representation of an emanation of the Gnostic Pleroma (the will of the Dust) focusing and exerting influence upon the individual as he/she begins to assume the responsibility of the free will to choose between good and evil. The time in life that it descends upon a person corresponds to the traditional view of the age of accountability. The abundance or scarcity of Dust on any one individual is an indication of the degree to which that individual has actualized the will of Dust in their lives. One interpretive parallel strongly bolsters this viewpoint. The Church of the His Dark Materials universe interprets Dust as a manifestation of original sin, and Gnostic Christianity sees the Catholic doctrine of original sin as a significant misinterpretation of the expulsion of man from the Garden in Genesis. In both cases, where the Church sees original sin, the Gnostic perspective finds individualized or “free” will.

The Authority
The Authority is the Gnostic Demiurge, ignorant of his own creation and ultimate Source, and unaware of the greater plan and Will that manifests itself in the world of Creation. He takes himself to be the builder, but he knows that he is not the Architect, and this is probably the source of the Authority’s confusion and contemplation. Like the God of the Old Testament, the Authority was once dominant and active in the life of man, but in his advanced age, he became introspective and distant. The authority of the “Authority” is usurped and preserved by his second in command, the Metatron.

Metatron
Metatron is the reflection of human prejudices and passions often assigned to the false image of God, which is so often promoted by those sowing the seeds of spiritual tyranny. He is the selfish, jealous, vindictive, and wrathful nature that so many wrongly assign to Deity. The Metatron seeks worship, power, and ultimate authority, and the Church is complicit in his aims, serving his purpose, though they do so out of ignorance and with what they believe to be noble intentions.

The Fall
His Dark Materials alludes to both a fall and a temptation. The fall occurred in the distant past, and the temptation concerns the decision that Lyra and Will face at the end of the trilogy. The actual situation of the original Fall is left up to the imagination of the reader, but it does seem apparent that individual consciousness or awareness of all those creatures that inherit free will began at that time and as a result of the “Fall”. It is also the point at which the destiny of the plurality of creation became intertwined with the will and action of the Dust. This is in perfect accord with the Gnostic view of the Fall of Man. The knowledge of good and evil provides the individual with the ability to choose among them. Whether the Fall was necessary and beneficial for mankind remains a point of contention, and a discussion of this is beyond the scope of this particular post.

The Temptation
At the climax of the story, Lyra (Eve) and Will (Adam) approach a very difficult decision. This is their temptation, and Dr. Malone (as foreshadowed) plays the role of the serpent in tempting them with the joy of love. The original Fall in the Garden had nothing to do with an actual garden, an actual tree, and actual fruit. It is an allegory pointing us in the direction of greater spiritual wisdom. Likewise, the temptation of Lyra and Will alludes to much deeper truths on the archetypal level. Simply put, Will and Lyra must sacrifice their own personal happiness in favor of universal balance or rightness. They choose to live their lives apart, and by the restored separation of all worlds and the destruction of the knife, all mankind may enjoy the ultimate peace of dissolution into the conscious fabric of existence. This is by no means an easy choice, and this level of self-sacrifice demonstrates a sincere understanding of what is genuinely right, in this case acting in accordance with the will of Dust. Nevertheless, what seems to be personal loss and sacrifice is often an opportunity. By choosing separation, Lyra and Will may continue to grow in wisdom and experience, and this bears many similarities to the fall of the archetypal Adam and Eve from intimacy with God.

The Tools
There are three tools critical to Lyra and Will’s quest, and it is no coincidence that these tools are the titles of each book in the trilogy: The Golden Compass (Alethiometer), The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. You might ask why the significance of tools? What distinguishes beings that have conscious awareness besides the presence of Dust? There is an inherent idea to the spirituality veiled within these stories that demands action or work. It is not sufficient that one simply believe or have faith. There is an active cause in the universe that requires each of us to play an active role in fulfilling the necessary end, and these tools represent the providence of spiritual tools with which each of us may work.

Alethiometer
The Alethiometer allows Lyra to tap into the Wisdom of the Dust. Knowing how to ask a question and interpret the answer it provides is a skill that only a few possess. Of those, most try to decipher it using books and conventional wisdom. Lyra, on the other hand, has a conscious awareness of direct communication with Dust. She has a natural affinity for its use and taps into to a much deeper reservoir of knowledge and insight. This is analogous to the divine spark of Gnosticism, the latent seeds of wisdom and desire planted within the man to light his spiritual path. As Lyra is guided in her quest by the knowledge and wisdom revealed by reading the Alethiometer, man may tap his own divine spark (his direct connection with God), to know and not just believe, to act and not merely know, and to discover the path he is meant to follow.

Subtle Knife
The subtle knife is a tool of action, and one that bears consequences, both known and unknown. Used properly and for the right reasons, it accomplishes great things. Employed for the wrong reason or for an ignorant or unworthy purpose, it brings destruction and ruin to all mankind. The subtle knife has two edges. One cleanly cuts any material (no matter how strong) in the physical world, the other may be used to slice the very fabric of space and time. That is to say that the use of the knife and its consequences take place on both the physical and spiritual level, whether its user is aware of this or not. The subtle knife represents the power of human will. Really utilizing the power of human will is more subtle than many expect, and like the knife, its action may take form on both the physical and spiritual levels. It also has great consequences, at times severe, and often without the understanding or expectation of the user.

Amber Spyglass
The amber spyglass is a tool of vision and clarity. Dr. Malone creates this tool herself through the combination of intuition, patience, and diligent work. It must be highly perfected to work correctly and it ultimately provides her with the insight she needs to give her direction. Aided by the spyglass, she sees the Dust for the first time, and the champion of materialism learns of a world that has always existed and co-existed, though she was unable to observe it. She learns of the nature of Dust, of its eternal role in the evolution and development of life, and it leads her to see the necessary outcome for Lyra and Will’s journey. This spyglass represents the revelation, intuition, and perception open to all those who have followed their divine spark and utilized their will in service of the Dust. It is Gnosis itself, the Knowledge of God. Armed with this knowledge, Dr. Malone can do nothing but serve the will of the Dust and lead Lyra and Will to sacrifice their temporal and personal joy for the sake of all creation. Only with this final explanation does it become apparent that these three tools could not have been utilized or needed in any other order. Likewise, each is used by a different character: Lyra, then Will, and finally Dr. Mary Malone. Even the names of these characters allude to their being symbols for different aspects and potentials within man.

Final Thoughts
With this broad framework for interpretation, it now seems appropriate to review a few other elements of the story to point you in useful directions for your own further exploration. The Specters feed on the Dust that has associated itself with the conscious awareness and latent will of their victims. Now that you see what Dust represents, can you imagine the hopelessness of those who lose themselves to the Specters? It is a sad thing to neglect one’s connection to the Divine in ignorance, but it is far worse to see that connection wither and fade to nothingness. The Specters are all of the trivial obsessions and concerns that distract each of us from the realization of our real identity and purpose. The Void, opened and strengthened by the misuse of human will, diminishes the presence of Dust, and thereby reduces the brightness of the potential for awareness within man. The opening of a permanent and stable exit from the World of the Dead was the culmination of the work of these three main characters, each with their tools, in accordance with the will of Dust, and its implications should be apparent if you have followed me this far.

Can all of this have been written by an atheist? I am reminded of Cato the Elder, who said, “Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise,” although this was not quite his intention. Happy reading…

In this part of the continuing discussion of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, I will directly address my own ideas about some of the common criticisms leveled against the work since publicity began around the release of the movie The Golden Compass. Before we begin, let me make it clear that I have not seen the movie, though I have read all three books. In interviews, Pullman has indicated (with some degree of remorse) that the more controversial themes were “toned down” by the producers in the film. That said, my discussion here will focus exclusively upon the content of the books.

The discussion around these allegations has been full of exaggeration and misrepresentation. I am not going to quote what the author or his adversaries have said in the context of these issues. There are many other locations to find that if you are interested. Rather, I will offer my own reasoned opinion and let you decide for yourself.

Allegation #1: The Protagonists Kill God
This is actually an easy one. God does not appear as a character anywhere in any of these books, and that rather makes sense, does it not? Since the author is an atheist? There is not even one character that allegorically represents God anywhere to be found. The Magisterium reveres the Authority, who they BELIEVE to be God, but the book makes it clear. The Authority was the first among conscious beings, the oldest, who claimed to have created everyone and everything else. The books make it clear that he did not actually create anything. He only claimed to, perhaps eventually believed it himself, and demanded that others worship him and obey his “Authority”. This is not so far removed from the Gnostic Demiurge or Marcion’s “heretical” view of the Old Testament Deity. Given that men seem so easily misled by false prophets, is it so difficult to believe that they would follow a false, self-proclaimed deity? In spite of all this, the Authority is not actually killed. He dies in a sense, but no one kills him.

Allegation #2: The Books Claim God is Crazy
Again, God is not a character, BUT, if you were basing your argument on the misunderstanding that the Authority is God, then this is also an easy one. The Authority is not crazy. He is actually a rather minor character, physically present in the story for perhaps a couple of paragraphs, and it is clear that he is an aged, kept being, a puppet or figurehead, preserved solely to perpetuate the power that his memory wields. Pullman never insinuates that the Authority is crazy; simply that he has slipped into the contemplation of deeper, mystical matters. Clearly, it is never too late for anyone. The real phantom menace in this story is Metatron, the supposed angelic reinvention of Enoch, the man who Genesis tells us “walked with God”. Metatron, not the Authority, wants to suppress the freedom of conscious beings to live as they choose this time around. He wants to reestablish the Inquisition and rain spiritual terror and tyranny over all the worlds. Metatron is killed by others through an act of sacrifice, and I would say his final moments support the idea that he is crazy, or at least disturbed, but as we have said, Metatron is not the Authority, and the Authority is not God. So what?

Allegation #3: The Books are Anti-Religion
Now it could be argued that all of the references to the Old Testament with respect to the Authority, Metatron, and the Kingdom of Heaven are undermining or chastising the followers of Judaism or Christianity. The Magisterium worships a false creator (the Authority), so Christians must be deceived. Right? The flaw of this logic is that the Authority represents a false IDEA of God. It is a mistaken belief. As an atheist, Pullman believes the mistake is to believe in God at all, but he immediately compensates for the absence of any source of Wisdom or Truth by making Dust conscious. His allegory suggests that ideas about God that focus only upon judgment, authority, jealousy, and vengeance are misguided, and I see no reason to disagree with him. Pullman’s source of Wisdom and Truth lies above and out of reach of the Authority. Where the author finds conscious matter, I find God. How can a book that promotes a conscious will and higher source of guidance, truth, and wisdom be anti-religion? The universal enemy here is not religion or God. It is ignorance, dogma, and religious tyranny.

Allegation #4: The Books are Anti-Christian
While I will concede that the answer to this question depends largely upon what you believe it means to be a Christian, it must be stated that Jesus is never mentioned, and the words Christian or Christianity appear only two or three times in the whole trilogy, and never in a way that has a material impact to the story. It is true that the His Dark Materials universe and its cosmology exist apart from a literal interpretation of the Biblical creation, but so does the world of any other fantasy series I can recall, not the least of which are The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, so revered among the most fervent of Christians. What does it matter if a fictional universe differs from a literalist, Biblical view? If you limit your exposure to those things that fully correlate with your idea of Creation, that is fine, but you should criticize a work of fantasy on its merits, not simply because it is FANTASY. The morality of His Dark Materials is unquestionably Christ-like. It is a tale of redemption and forgiveness, perfect love, sacrifice and the pain of betrayal, truth and honor, virtue, and forgiveness.

Allegation #5: The Books are Anti-Catholic
Of all the criticisms aimed at this trilogy, this is the one that I cannot entirely disagree with, though it must be put in a proper context. Philip Pullman would hardly be the first to question the historical abuses of the Catholic Church or aspects of its doctrine that some may feel threaten individual religious freedom. He is also far from the first to do so in a children’s story. The Magisterium, at times called “the Church”, controls many aspects of the lives of Lyra’s world. It defines and prosecutes heresy, it controls the government and the military, it instills fear, and it demands obedience. It is a perfect earthly administrative arm for the Authority. It controls the scientists and the philosophers, and its subjects worry over original sin and penance. It is an unveiled summary of the historical abuses of a once-powerful Catholic church that any fair-minded Catholic would concede. The Catholic Church has certainly lost the power it once held, its leaders acknowledge past mistakes and encourage further reforms, and we have no obvious reason to doubt their sincerity. In Lyra’s world, the Magisterium’s power is not absolute. There are other sentient cultures that do not subscribe to its faith: the witches, the bears, perhaps even the gyptians. It is the threat of Metatron’s inquisition and his direct interference in all the worlds that threatens to make that power absolute. Again, the way in which the Magisterium uses its power and doctrine to unleash spiritual tyranny is at issue, and that does not translate to the 21st century Catholic Church, nor should anyone view this historical allusion as anti-Catholic in any modern sense.

Allegation #6: The Books Promote Atheism
This is only true insofar as a few of the characters promote that point of view in conversation. As I have stated previously, the author does go to great lengths through these characters, particularly in the third book, to justify a purely material or secular humanist interpretation of the consciousness and will of Dust, but I found his efforts to be hollow, or at least very lacking. The comments come from characters that do not really have a complete grasp of the situation in this adventure, and far more questions are left completely unanswered in this respect. Pullman’s attempts to promote a materialist view are far more transparent than the attempts of C. S. Lewis to promote a Christian spiritual view in The Chronicles of Narnia, but both series of books are examples of fine storytelling and good fantasy fiction.

Allegation #7: The Books Claim There is no Heaven
The story reveals that the Authority has been holding a portion of what remains of individuals after their death (more on this in the next part of the discussion) in a rather dreary, unchanging, and eternal prison. This place is clearly not Heaven or Hell in any orthodox sense of either word. It is perhaps closest to the Catholic notion of Limbo, except that it is permanent home for the individuals trapped there. At the end of this adventure, these individuals are given an escape from this “prison” and the opportunity (if they desire, and most do) to escape in favor of dissolution and a return to the matter of the universe. There is some suggestion that consciousness is retained and that there is a sublime happiness achieved in that moment when their “atoms” reunite with those of their daemon (animal guide – a lot more on those in the next part of the discussion) and their friends and family. Moreover, this way out remains open for the enjoyment of all those to come. All of this certainly makes for the most mystically oriented atheism or secular humanism I have encountered. Well, let me just make this as clear as I can. Any idea that anyone of a Judeo-Christian religious background has with respect to the nature of Heaven or Hell as actual places where souls go to receive reward or punishment has a lot more to do with the literature and dogma of the middle ages than the Bible. With Lyra and Will’s intervention, the dead are given an outcome that sounds as much like Heaven as anything I can sincerely describe, and I find the former “prison” in this universe to be no less disturbing than the stasis of the dead awaiting corporeal resurrection, which some Christians continue to believe in today.

Allegation #8: The Books Promote Teen Sex
I include this only because it is among the criticisms I have read, though my jaw dropped at the suggestion. It can only have come from someone who did not read or completely misunderstood the books, and I do not just mean in a philosophical or theological sense. They literally could not have read the same words I did and have understood them. There is no sex in this book, and all of the discussion around original sin and temptation has nothing to do with sex either. (If you believe original sin or the fall of man has anything to with sex, then I am sorry. That goes way beyond the scope of a discussion of these books.) There is some kissing toward the end of the story, but only as an expression of genuine love between two characters that have been through an ordeal and have grown together during that experience. This is a coming-of-age story, but not of the sexual experimentation variety. The love between Lyra and Will is deep and genuine. Their temptation is not sexual. Their temptation is to sacrifice everything that they have accomplished and the stability of the universe in order to reap the rewards of that love, and that means spending their lives together: marriage, kids, everything. Could you have made their choice?

Allegation #9: The Books Glorify Sin and the Fall of Man in Eden
That temptation leads me into the final criticism. The Magisterium identifies Dust as physical evidence of original sin, but there is no reason to agree with that interpretation. The books do not glorify sin, if you identify sin as an act of evil. As I have said, the delineation between good and evil is very clear. Pullman does provide a distinct interpretation of the fall of man, which is not so far removed from the Gnostic or esoteric understanding of the story in Genesis. The serpent tempted Adam and Eve with the knowledge of good and evil. What is human will without the knowledge of a choice that has to be made? Dust begins to collect around children as they begin to reach physical maturity and become accountable for their actions. Dust is quite literally the opening of consciousness to the ability to make good and bad decisions. If you believe that Adam and Eve sinned in eating the fruit and that original sin is passed from mother to child at conception, then Pullman disagrees with you and so do I. He is not glorifying the fall of man; he is explaining it. The broader symbolism of Dust and the temptation and fall of man in His Dark Materials requires a more detailed analysis.

In the final part of this discussion, I will analyze some of the deeper symbolism of the overall book as well as specific elements of the story.

One of the greatest aspects of art (whether it be music, literature, sculpture, etc.) is its ability to inspire and move the audience in ways that the artist never intended. It should not be news to you that Philip Pullman, the author of the His Dark Materials trilogy that serves as the basis for the recent film The Golden Compass, is an atheist, or at least a secular humanist – the philosophical and ethics-focused branch of atheism or (on occasion) agnosticism. Now his personal views do not concern me. He is, after all, a storyteller. While he has certainly injected his strict materialism into this tapestry of allegory and metaphor, as the reader, I am free to interpret the story in ways he did not intend.

Drawing upon similar interpretations to my own, some might try to suggest that Philip Pullman is denying his own hidden spirituality, but this is misguided. It is clear that his atheism is born of deep conviction and reflection, so I would never question it. The reality is that atheists and theists observe the same universe. Some of us (but far from all) use intellect, intuition, and reason to interpret our observations and still arrive at different conclusions. Atheists believe that it is simpler to conclude that there is no God. I do not. God’s existence or non-existence cannot be settled by observation of matter alone, and I find that strict materialism has to stretch much farther than spiritualism to explain the human will and conscious. For now, let us just say that I find theism to be the simpler explanation.

I knew nothing of these stories apart from an early trailer for the first film until evangelical and fundamentalist Christians began discussing the “dark” and “sinister” motives of the author. As soon as they start to feel threatened by something (and especially where picketing, boycotts, or book burnings are involved), I generally seek out the object of their animosity. So naturally, after a quick visit to Wikipedia, I decided to read the books. An unexplored and unchallenged faith is both blind and empty.

Before I continue, let me provide the obligatory spoiler warning. I will not be discussing plot specifics in detail, but in discussing some of the characters and concepts, some aspects of the plot will be indirectly disclosed. If this is a problem for you, then go pick up the books and come back to my comments later.

To begin, the His Dark Materials universe contains genuine good and evil. There is no moral or ethical relativism to be found, but it is a universe filled with morally or ethically grey characters. From the first chapter, it is clear that Pullman’s characters will be hard to read. This is in stark contrast to the archetypal characters found in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, for example. Apart from Boromir and Gollum, Tolkien’s characters are inherently and unquestionably good or evil, and I would argue that Boromir is clearly good, redeemed, but flawed, and that Gollum is actually neither, indifferently accomplishing both good and evil, purely out of self-interest. In contrast, Pullman’s characters switch sides. They use bad means to accomplish good and good means to accomplish evil. They act at times out of self-interest and at others for the common good. While the Magisterium is clearly on the bad side (something left a bit vague in the first two books), it is not fully clear until the end that the other side is entirely good. And even though the protagonists’ efforts restored the good, their side’s motivations to enter the conflict were, at times, rather murky. The result is a world of earthy realism, of absolute good and evil, filled with characters who struggle between them.

So what is the Magisterium? It is not religion or Christianity in a pure sense. It is spiritual tyranny. It is the dogma and unreasoned faith that blinds and restrains human will. It is faith that absolutely rejects reason. This is personified by Mrs. Coulter. Lord Asriel, though a flawed, secondary protagonist on the side of right, is just the opposite. He is reason that absolutely rejects faith. Both opposing forces act out of self-interest, and both are devoid of love or compassion. Both reject Lyra at the end of the first book, though she, as their offspring, represents the union or equilibrium between them. She is the balance of faith and reason. Lyra, throughout her journey, serves the will of the Dust, and her story culminates in her discovery of love. Lyra frees the universe from tyranny on both sides and restores hope. The redeemed Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel join in sacrifice out of their love for Lyra to play a great part in the end of that tyranny.

Through the idea of Dust, Pullman tries very hard, particularly through the characters of Lord Asriel and Dr. Mary Malone to justify the existence of consciousness through strict materialism. Dust is of some higher and nobler intellectual purpose, purely good, but consisting of nothing more than matter. In the end, this material explanation comes across as rather forced and contrived. It seems superfluous to the story, added only to prevent the reader from linking the consciousness or will of Dust or Dark Matter to a spiritual Cause. Yet, regardless of his efforts, his story led me to a spiritual interpretation. Many atheists cannot comprehend a spiritual faith outside of traditional, dogmatic religion. They cannot understand the word God outside of a catholic, protestant, or fundamentalist Judeo-Christian context. Likewise, it is possible that Pullman thinks that by advocating the evolution of multiple worlds with different conscious life forms or the supremacy of physical laws, he is somehow undermining faith in God. However, I am not willing to be so cynical.

What Pullman does is to encourage the individual to explore the universe of possibilities and make an unbiased and personal decision. He advocates love and compassion and recognizes the archetypal qualities of right and wrong. Some of his strongest characters, the witches as one example, act from a genuinely spiritual worldview, and I found nothing in the work that undermines faith in God, when it is balanced by reason and acts out of love. For that, he has earned my respect as a great storyteller. He has given us a spark of truth in the ancient form of myth.

Stay tuned. In the next part of this discussion, I will take some of the evangelical and fundamentalist criticisms head on and address some of the more significant biblical and symbolic elements of the story.