Beowulf and Missiology

[RamistThomist]

In one of the more recent Table Talks, Dr Gene Veith has a fantastic article dealing with the Beowulf story. If you haven't read Beowulf, then your educational system has failed you--and you need to go read it. See here for it online.

Veith makes the point that the pagan German and Norse gods looked to an apocalyptic future that didn't have much hope. Ragnorak would come and the gods, however mighty and heroic they were, were unable to conquer (see endnote). The gods would suffer nobly and leave humanity an example.

So, when Christian missionaries went to Germany and Scandinavia, the Norse immediately understood about God in Christ suffering for the world. However, the Christian story veered sharply away from the Norse story at its key point: the Suffering God rose again from the dead!

Is it legitimate to see the Beowulf story as a Christian story or is it the rambling of a confused bard who tried to maintain both Christianity and paganism? While there is definitely a heroic Norse spin to the story, it can be seen as a Christian retelling of the Norse worldview, deconstructing that worldview and exploding it at the key points of resistance.

I had some more thoughts on this but it has been a while since I have thought about it, so I forgot some.

*some peopel say that Ragnarok was followed by a rebirth of the cosmic order, thus it wasn't pessimistic at all. That could be true, but in these tales the emphasis is on doom and fate.

 

[turmeric]

He does kill Grendel, that's hopeful. But the Norse pagans believed that the world is the corpse of a great monster named Ymir I believe.

 

[Augusta]

I actually attended a class on gospel messages in Beowulf. It was interesting. I like the book a lot and have read anything based on it that I run into.

There was a recent movie that was ok. I wouldn't watch it again because of language and other stuff that I had to fast forward through. It was pretty crass on purpose because they obviously thought Norsemen were crass. It did include more elements of the story though than are usually included. It was a foreign film and I can't remember the name.

It is a must read for fantasy genre fans. It has the original dragon that all other dragons are based on. Including Tolkien's in "The Hobbit."

 

[LadyFlynt]

Tracy, let me know if you ever remember the name.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

LadyFlynt,

I think this is the foreign one: http://www.beowulfandgrendel.com/.

But while looking for it I came upon a U.S. one to be released in Nov -- with some class actors in it: http://www.beowulfmovie.com/.

Jacob,

Is that article by Veith anywhere online? (I'm not in the country so as to easily obtain it.) I am most interested in it; besides liking Veith, Beowulf is an ancient work pertinent to a genre I currently write in. What Table Talk is it you refer to?

I just read a short story last night using the Beowulf / Grendel / Grendel's mother figures, "The Monarch of the Glen," by Neil Gaiman.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[RamistThomist]

LadyFlynt,

I think this is the foreign one: http://www.beowulfandgrendel.com/.

That movie glorified the pagan elements and ridiculed the Christian elements. I was sickened halfway through and turned it off.

Jacob,

Is that article by Veith anywhere online? (I'm not in the country so as to easily obtain it.) I am most interested in it; besides liking Veith, Beowulf is an ancient work pertinent to a genre I currently write in. What Table Talk is it you refer to?

I just read a short story last night using the Beowulf / Grendel / Grendel's mother figures, "The Monarch of the Glen," by Neil Gaiman.

Thanks,

Steve

It is in the August 2007 edition. I have yet to find it online.

 

[RamistThomist]

But while looking for it I came upon a U.S. one to be released in Nov -- with some class actors in it: http://www.beowulfmovie.com/.

That looks interesting.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Is that the Table Talk magazine put out by Sproul's ministry?

And thanks for the heads-up on the movie! I won't bother getting it now.

 

[RamistThomist]

Is that the Table Talk magazine put out by Sproul's ministry?

And thanks for the heads-up on the movie! I won't bother getting it now.

Yes. Sproul's ministry.

And the movie was so bad that I could have read from the book aloud, bought a fake sword from wal mart, swung it around a few times, and equaled the quality of the movie.

They turned Beowulf into some sort of postmodern. Grendel was the hero. They inserted a witch/whore into the story line who challenged the now postmodernized Beowulf's sense of right and wrong.--that's when I had to turn it off.

True, the cinematography was pretty good, but that's about it.