Over 25 years ago, a friend recommended the book
THE ACTS OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS NOBLE KNIGHTS by John Steinbeck.
Steinbeck attempted to write his own version of
the story, but never completed the novel. I normally don't care for Steinbeck's
writing. But the King Arthur book was readable.
What was more interesting was Steinbeck's correspondence in the back of
the book. The correspondence details his research attempts and ideas.
What was intersting were his comments about oral tradition and the
role of memory. I don't think Steinbeck was a Christian, but I think
his comments on memory and oral tradition can be applied to Chrisitian
apologetics.
Liberals will downplay the accuracy in the transmission of scripture.
They will argue that many of the accounts were written down after
a long period of oral tradition and that oral tradition was not reliable. I
think Steinbeck would argue thar oral tradition and
the human memory are reliable. Steinbeck marveled how well stories
have been passed down through the ages. Robert Darnton, author of THE
GREAT CAT MASSACRE also marvels at how stories which have been passed down
through the ages were well preserved. Another book which comes to mind is the
THE KAKURE KIRISHITAN OF JAPAN by Stephen Turnbull.
This book is about the "hidden Christians" or descendents of Japanese
Roman Catholics who lived in Japan from the 1600's to the 1850's when Japan was
isolated and Christianity was outlawed. Unfortunately they became syncretistic.
When contact was reestablished with the Roman Catholics, the majority of these
people accepted correction and where received back into the church. A small
minority which did not reconcile with the Roman Catholic Church continue to this
day. Scholars who studied these people were amazed at how they were able to
keep parts of their faith such as the Lord's prayer intact. While corruptions
in the Kakure Kirishitan's faith may be an arguement for the liberal side, I
think the faithful transmission of Christian texts
may be an arguement for the reliability in the transmission of oral tradition.
And if one assumes a "Protestant" viewpoint, one might argue
that if oral tradtion, which has lesser authority than sacred scripture, can
preserved somewhat faithfully, can't sacred scripture be
preserved even more faithfully by God's providence?
The biography JOHN STEINBECK WRITER by Jackson Benson also provides
some interesting material about Steinbeck and his interest in the legend of King Arthur.
Steinbeck and the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. along
with Professor Eugene Vinaver (Manchester University) visited a private library
at Alinwak castle in Scotland owned by the Duke of Northumberland. Professor
Vinver, who edited the Winchester edition of Mallory's Le Morte D'Arthur found
a pre-Mallory Manuscript of the Author legend.
Steinbeck claimed it was a new discovery. But as it turned out the
British had already made a microfilmed copy of the document and filed it away
where it remained forgotten. I think someone from the Steinbeck Research Center
in Monterey told me that Steinbeck was very much interested in the Arthurian
legend and there was a reference to
the knights of the roundtable in his book Tortilla Flat. And I think
the biography of Steinbeck states that Steinbeck compared our soldiers
in Vietnam to Knights. Well if you have to read a Steinbeck story,
you might want to chose his ACTS OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS NOBLE KNIGHTS.
Perhaps it's just as well he did not finish the story. Maybe the ending
would have been too depressing. For some reason the Japanese really
like Steinbeck. I think they have been a major sponsor of Steinbeck
research. Maybe they like tragic endings. After reading SHIOKARI PASS, my
friend "Grandma" remarked that the Japanese like the Chinese
have tragic ending to their stories. Personally I perefer the
"happily ever after endings." I don't think one can really live or
die
with sad endings. It is interesting to note that Steinbeck
wanted a Church of England (Episcopal / Anglican) service not a memorial service
where people reminsiced about his life. If I remember correctly the C of E
service does express a hope of the resurrection.
Guy
# posted by GuyTak @ 3:16 PM
