Walter Miller's Canticle for Leibowitz: A Study of Apocalyptic Cycles

Walter M. Miller, Jr. s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a
timeless story about apocalyptic cycles, conflicts
and similarities between religion and science,
religious ethics and secular ethics, sin and
redemption, myth and preternatural innocence.
Canticle is a very religious story about a monastery
dedicated to preserving scientific knowledge from the
time before nuclear war which devastated the world
and reduced humanity to a pre-technological
civilization. The Catholic Church and this monastery
are portrayed as a bastion of civilization amidst
barbarians and a light of faith amidst atheism.
Unfortunately, humanity destroys the Earth once
again, but Miller ends with two beacons of hope: a
starship headed for the unknown to help humanity
begin again and the preternaturally innocent Rachel
who portends a future for similarly innocent human
beings repopulating the Earth. Thus, faith
ultimately triumphs over atheism even in the midst of
almost total catastrophe.

Autorentext

Cynthia M. Smith is currently on the faculty of Georgia PerimeterCollege Department of Humanities. She has a BA in English and aBA in Religious Studies, an MA in Philosophy and an MA in Englishfrom Georgia State University. She is currently working towardsan MA in Religion at UGA. She lives in Georgia with her husbandand three children.

Klappentext

Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz is atimeless story about apocalyptic cycles, conflictsand similarities between religion and science,religious ethics and secular ethics, sin andredemption, myth and preternatural innocence. Canticle is a very religious story about a monasterydedicated to preserving scientific knowledge from thetime before nuclear war which devastated the worldand reduced humanity to a pre-technologicalcivilization. The Catholic Church and this monasteryare portrayed as a bastion of civilization amidstbarbarians and a light of faith amidst atheism. Unfortunately, humanity destroys the Earth onceagain, but Miller ends with two beacons of hope: astarship headed for the unknown to help humanitybegin again and the preternaturally innocent Rachelwho portends a future for similarly innocent humanbeings repopulating the Earth. Thus, faithultimately triumphs over atheism even in the midst ofalmost total catastrophe.