The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife & The Amber Spyglass

By Philip Pullman

HIS DARK MATERIALS TRILOGY

A CHRISTIAN REVIEW

I would like to dedicate this review to the man who walked on this earth, lived a righteous life, was killed, spent three days in the land of the dead, escaped from it, and told us all how we can escape it as well. May His words be remembered always and may His kingdom reign forever.

Philip Pullman has put together a well written childrens fantasy adventure with a very complex, anti-God, anti-church world view. The books concern me as a Christian because Christian parents may buy these books for their children not knowing the dangerous message the books preach. This scenario is even more likely to occur with the release of each book as a major motion picture. What I have done in this review is examine the material of all three books by topic. I have tried, where possible, to actually quote the book so as to cut down the chances of passing along misinformation. Occasionally I will make comments where I feel greater explanation is necessary. I hope this review will help Christians fully understand the message these books preach. Please pass this review along to everyone who will benefit from reading it. All quotes are taking from the following books: Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass (paperback edition), New York: Del Rey, 1997. Pullman, Philip. The Subtle Knife (paperback edition), New York: Del Rey, 1998. Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass (paperback edition), New York: Del Rey, 2001.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION TRILOGY OVERVIEW THE CHURCH THE BIBLE DAEMONS ANGELS DUST GOD DEATH/AFTERLIFE ANTI-CONVERSION LYRA as EVE LESSER AGENDAS PULLMANS NEW RELIGION CONCLUSION INTRODUCTION I must admit from the start that reading these books was very easy. The books are very well written. The characters have a great deal of complexity and the themes are slowly developed throughout the trilogy, pulling the reader through the pages. But as a Christian, I found the trilogy to be very offensive to my faith. Philip Pullman is self proclaimed agnostic who set out to write a series that he termed anti-Narnia. For those of you not familiar, C. S. Lewis was one of the greatest Christian writers of the 20th century. He wrote a series of seven childrens fantasy novels called The Chronicles of Narnia. These books have a great deal of Christian symbolism in them, with the great talking lion, Aslan, representing Jesus. I loathe the Narnia books, Pullman has said in previous press interviews. I hate them with a deep and bitter passion, with their

view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling away. He has called the series one of the most ugly and poisonous things hes ever read. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, the writer summarizes Pullmans anti-Christian sentiment: Pullman doesnt believe in God, or so he has said countless times. He is also vehemently opposed to organized religion - in His Dark Materials, the church and clergy are malevolent, child-destroying forces of repression. The trilogy is in part a reworking of Miltons Paradise Lost with two children, Lyra and Will, taking on the quest to save the world and fighting the war in heaven. Only this time, the fates are reversed. Lyra and Will overturn the established order. Their worlds are redeemed, and God, who turns out to be only a wizened old man encased in a life-support machine, crumbles to dust.1 So, please understand that Pullman wrote his trilogy with a pointedly anti-Christian agenda in mind. TRILOGY OVERVIEW The story begins with Lyra, a girl who sets out to find her uncle (actually her father) Lord Asriel. As Lyra travels through different parallel worlds, she makes friends with a talking bear, a young boy named Will and a clan of witches. Lord Asriel, of course, is an ardent atheist who has found out the truth about the church and God. He knows that God is not all powerful and is, in fact, a cruel dictator. Lord Asriel literally sets out to kill God. The church is run by power hungry men and women who maintain their power by spreading lies and trying to suppress the truth about God. As the story progresses, we learn about an elemental particle named Dust. The church determines that it is original sin and they seek to destroy it. Lyra, with the help of her friends, discover that Dust isnt sin at all but a universal consciousness. Dust isnt bad, it actually brings enlightenment and gives meaning to life. When Will and Lyra learn that Heaven and Hell do not exist and that God has set up a land of nothingness in which to collect the dead, they decide to go to the land of the dead and set the ghosts free. After a great deal of effort, they succeed. As Lord Asriel gathers His army to make war against God and the Kingdom of Heaven, we learn of a prophecy involving Lyra. She will be like Eve and will be tempted just like Eve was. The church learns of this and seeks to kill her before she falls into sin. Fortunately, they fail and Lyras fall brings balance back to the universe. Lord Asriel also defeats the Kingdom of Heaven and God, freeing many universes from both God and the churchs tyrannical grasp. The book ends with the Kingdom of Heaven destroyed, God dead, and the church structure destroyed or at best in shambles. All is well again with the universe. THE CHURCH Throughout the books, the Church is always portrayed as a hideous interaction of institutional secrecy and terrible, wicked people. Priests cannot be trusted. They are corrupt and have perverted minds2. The church as a whole cannot be trusted and most importantly, what the church teachings cannot be trusted. As I read through the books I found very specific names, terms and locations that tie the church in the books directly to Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. It is clear that Pullman is directly attacking Christianity as a whole, not just one part of it. Colleges are named after St. Peters and St. Jerome. There is a quote from St. Augustine and St. Paul along with the Apocalypse of St. John (Book of Revelation). Even the great Protestant reformer, John Calvin, is mentioned as a ruler of one branch of the church.
1 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/11/04/bopull04.xml&page=2 2 If you thought for one moment I would release my daughter into the carethe care!of a body of men with a feverish obsession with sexuality, men with dirty fingernails, reeking of ancient sweat, men whose furtive imaginations would crawl over her body like coach roachesif you thought I would expose my child to that, my Lord President, you are more stupid than you take me for. The Amber Spyglass, p. 292.  St. Augustine had said, Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is spirit; if you seek the name of their office, it is angel; what they are, spirit, from what they do, angel. The Subtle Knife, p.219.  You know, she said, the Churchthe Catholic Church that I used to belong towouldnt use the word daemon, but St. Paul talks about spirit and body. So the idea of three parts in human nature isnt so strange. The Amber Spyglass, p. 392.  Ever since Pope John Calvin had moved the seat of the Papacy to Geneva and set up the Consistorial Court of Discipline, the Churchs power over every aspect of life had been absolute. The Papacy itself had been abolished after Calvins death, and a tangle of courts, colleges, and councils, collectively known as the Magisterium, had grown up in its place. The Golden Compass, p. 27.

One of the main characters of the book, Lord Asriel, is described as hating priors, monks and nuns. It would be Lord Asriel, and his scientific work (called philosophical work in his world) that would get him in trouble with the church. The Vatican Council even considered having him put to death7. As the story continues, the church leadership, consisting of a Cardinal, brings in a witch to interrogate.8 When the witch wouldnt talk, they call for her continued torture until she does.9 During this discourse we learn that Lord Asriel has a strong hatred for the sacraments and the churchs message of atonement and redemption.10 It is during this interview we learn of his intentions to try to kill God.11 Concerning another rite of the church, Mrs. Coulter, a high ranking official of the church, offers Christian baptism into the church as a bribe, even when the person (a talking bear in this instance) does not qualify.12 The church is portrayed as a destructive machine that seeks to destroy every good feeling, which includes the castration of their young to prevent it.13 They also seem to demonize everything. In one discussion a priest says that everything in the north is devilish and that all witches should be put to death.14 When Lord Asriel is standing at the opening to a new world, his estranged wife, Mrs. Coulter, tries to convince him not to cross into it. The church is completely opposed to learning and enlightenment15 and is willing to censer16 whatever information does not fit their doctrines. The church will most certainly excommunicate anyone who tries to cross into another world.17 After all, the church had already excommunicated the mathematicians who suggested that other worlds existed18. Concerning Dust, the church discovers this strange matter settles on children right before they become adults. After much study they determine that Dust is original sin. They are terrified of it19 and seek a way to stop it. One way is the painful process of cutting a
6 But Lord Asriel wouldnt stand for that. He had a hatred of priors and monks and nuns, and being a high-handed man he just rode in one day and carried you off. The Golden Compass, p. 109. 7 Perhaps you havent heard, said Mrs. Coulter. Lord Asriel is under suspended sentence of death. One of the conditions of his exile is Svalbard was that he give up his philosophical work entirely. Unfortunately, he managed to obtain books and materials, and hes pushed his heretical investigations to the point where its positively dangerous to let him live. At any rate, it seems that the Vatican Council has begun to debate the question of the sentence of death, and the probability is that itll be carried out. The Golden Compass, p. 239. 8 The meeting was being chaired by an elderly man in the robes of a Cardinal, and the rest of them seemed to be clerics of one sort or another, apart from Mrs. Coulter, who was the only woman present. The Subtle Knife, p.31. 9 Its all in place but the witches testimony! I say we should torture her again! The Subtle Knife, p.32. 10 Well, Lord Asriel has never found himself at ease with the doctrines of the Church, so to speak. Ive seen a spasm of disgust cross his face when they talk of the sacraments, and atonement, and redemption, and suchlike. The Subtle Knife, p.40-41. 11 Hes a-going to find the Authority and kill Him. The Subtle Knife, p.40-41. 12 She [Mrs. Coulter] promised you that shed get the Magisterium in Geneva to agree that you could be baptized as a Christian, even though you hadnt got a daemon then. The Golden Compass, p. 299 13 Sisters, she began, let me tell you what is happening, and who it is that we must fight. For there is a war coming. I dont know who will join us, but I know whom we must fight. It is the Magisterium, the Church. For all its historyand thats not long by our lives, but its many, many of theirsits tried to suppress and control every natural impulse. And when it cant control them, it cuts them outThere are churches there, believe me, that cut their children too, as the people of Bolvangar didnot in the same way, but just as horrible. They cut their sexual organs, yes both boys and girls: they cut them with knives so they shant feel. That is what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling. So if a war comes, and the Church is on one side of it, we must be on the other, no matter what strange allies we find ourselves bound to. The Subtle Knife, p.44-45 14 They are afraid of the bears. And so they should bethey are children of the devil. All things from the north are devilish. Like the witchesdaughters of evil! The church should have put them all to death years ago! Witcheshave nothing to do with themThey should be put to death, every one. The Amber Spyglass, p. 89-90 15 She said that all the history of human life has been a struggle between wisdom and stupidity. She and the rebel angels, the followers of wisdom, have always tried to open minds; the Authority and his churches have always tried to keep them closed. The Amber Spyglass, p.429 16 And then he saw something else: the Skraeling was wearing a ring with the Churchs symbol engraved on it. Suddenly he realized the reason for the mans silence. Every philosophical research establishment, so hed heard, had to include on its staff a representative of the Magisterium, to act as a censor and suppress the news of any heretical discoveries. The Subtle Knife, p. 110 17 Theyll [Church] forbid it! Theyll seal it off and excommunicate anyone who tries! Too many people will want to. They wont be able to prevent them. This will mean the end of the Church, Marisa, the end of the Magisterium, the end of all those centuries of darkness! Look at that light up there: thats the sun of another world! Feel the warmth of it on your skin, now! The Golden Compass, p. 346-47 18 One of uncountable billions of parallel worlds. The witches have known about them for centuries, but the first theologians to prove their existence mathematically were excommunicated fifty or more years ago. However, its true; theres no possible way of denying it. The Golden Compass, p. 330 19 In every world, the agents of the authority are sacrificing children to their cruel god! Why? Why? They are afraid of Dust, said Serafina Pekkala, though what

childs daemon away from them. This turns a child into a zombie-like person but at least they are free from Dust. [SEE ALSO: Dust] As the story continues, the church learns through a prophecy that Lyra will be tempted to fall into sin, much like Eve20 was in the Garden of Eden. The church has no choice but to pursue killing21 Lyra to prevent another fall. In the end, Lyra does get tempted like Eve, accepts the temptation, and the entire universe falls into its rightful balance. [SEE ALSO: Lyra as Eve] The church is destroyed or at least is left in terrible disarray22. THE BIBLE It is apparent throughout the books that Pullman knows Christianity and he knows the Bible. Some of the references are obvious. Some quotations are identical or identifiably similar to passages in the Bible. An example of this is Lord Asriel reading a modified Genesis chapter 3 to Lyra (See footnote 46). Mrs. Coulter also correctly paraphrases a bit of Gods interaction with humanity which is also found in Genesis (See footnote 63). She also refers to Genesis 6:4 which speaks of the sons of God lying with the daughters of men when she says, Mrs. Coulter looked at him [Metatron] curiously. These were the beings who had fallen in love with human women, with the daughters of men, so long ago23. Other such quotes are not so perfectly matched, but they are close enough. For example, one defender of the church quotes a modified Matthew 7:20, You are an enemy of the Church, Lee Scoresby. By their fruits shall ye know them. By their questions shall ye see the serpent gnawing at their heart24 The Regent of the Kingdom of Heaven, Metatron, was said to have once been the man Enoch. His lineage25 matches the lineage of the Biblical Enoch in Genesis 5:15-18. The War that took place in Heaven when some of the angels rebelled is talked about frequently but not always accurately26. The book of Revelation (The Apocalypse of John) is also referred to, but the facts arent always right27. The war28 at the end of the book between Lord Asriel and the Kingdom of Heaven sounds very familiar to the final battle described in Revelation. Warriors are gathering from all parts of the world in preparation for it29. After the battle Lyra and Will jumped over little gullies where storm-fed streams ran red with blood.30 Mrs. Coulter uses all sorts of Bible lingo when she says Where did this love come from? I dont know; it came to me like a thief in the night, and now I love her so much my heart is bursting with it. All I could hope was that my crimes were so monstrous that the love was no bigger than a mustard seed in the shadow of them, and I wished Id committed even greater ones to hid it more deeply still31
that is, I dont know. The Subtle Knife, p.243 20 Lena Feldt gasped, She will be the mothershe will be lifemothershe will disobeyshe will--Name her! You are saying everything but the most important thing! Name her! Cried Mrs. Coulter. Eve! Mother of all! Eve again! Mother Eve! stammered Lena Feldt, sobbing. The Subtle Knife, p. 278 21 What will you do to her? What will you do? Why I shall have to destroy her, said Mrs. Coulter, to prevent another FallWhy didnt I see this before? It was too large to see The Subtle Knife, p. 278 22 All kinds of things had happened while Lyra was awayto Jordan College, to England, to the whole world. It seemed that the power of the Church had increased greatly, and that many brutal laws had been passed, but that the power had waned as quickly as it had grown: upheavals in the Magisterium had toppled the zealots and brought more liberal factions into power. The General Oblation Board had been dissolved; the Consistorial Court of Discipline was confused and leaderless. The Amber Spyglass, p. 458 23 The Amber Spyglass, p. 354. 24 The Subtle Knife, p. 112. 25 Metatron was once Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of MahalalelEnoch cast me out, because IOh, my dear Balthamos The Amber Spyglass, p. 60. 26 Something is happening, and we dont know down here what it may be. There could be a war breaking out. There was a war in heaven once, oh, thousands of years ago, immense ages back, but I dont know what the outcome was. The Subtle Knife, p. 122. 27 There has been a convulsion in the earth, the priest said. It is all foretold in the Apocalypse of St. John. Rivers flow backward The great river only a short way from here used to flow north into the Arctic Oceanever since the Authority of God the Almighty Father created the earth. But when the earth shook and the fog and the floods came, everything changed, and then the great river flowed south for a week or more before it turned again and went north. The world is turning upside down. The Amber Spyglass, p. 88. 28 There is a war coming, boy. The greatest war there ever was. Something like it happened before, and this time the right side must win. Weve had nothing but lies and propaganda and cruelty and deceit for all the thousands of years of human history. Its time we started again, but properly this time The Subtle Knife, p. 282. 29 Warriors were now in place from every world where Lord Asriels rebellion had supporters; mechanics and artificers were fueling aircraft, loading weapons, and calibrating sights and measures. As the darkness came, some welcome reinforcements arrived. The Amber Spyglass, p.337. 30 The Amber Spyglass, p.359. 31 The Amber Spyglass, p.362.

It is really hard to tell what place the Bible holds in the trilogy. Some of its writings are given authority in a matter-of-fact sort of way while other quotes are easily manipulated, altered or left out altogether. Pullman seems to use the Bible as just another fantasy book to pull materials from while not giving it any true credibility. DAEMONS It is interesting that in some worlds, people have a physical, spiritual ego attached. They are called daemons pronounced demon. These daemons can change forms and can travel short distances away from the person they are attached too. The person can also ask advice from their daemon. In Lyras world they have daemons. When Lyra meets Will in his world, she notices he doesnt have a daemon and questions him about it. He is shocked. In his world the word demon means devil or evil.32 Pullmans play on words thus forces the reader to look upon the word demon (which also carries with it negative imagery in our world) as being good. ANGELS Angels play a significant roll throughout the trilogy. At first, the information we are given about angels is from what is revealed by and taught by the church. One discussion tells us: You want to know about angels? said Joachim Lorenz. Very well. Their name for themselves is bene elim, Im told. Some call them Watchers, too. Theyre not beings of flesh like us; theyre beings of spirit. Or maybe their flesh is more finely drawn than ours, lighter and clearer, I wouldnt know; but theyre not like us. They carry messages from heaven, thats their calling. We see them sometimes in the sky, passing through this world on the way to another, shining like fireflies way, way up high. On a still night you can even hear their wing beats. They have concerns different from ours, though in the ancient days they came down and had dealings with men and women, and they bred with us, too, some say. As the story unfolds, we begin to get more detailed information. Dr. Malone, as she talks with the dark matter (Dust), learns that angels are created from Dust. She also learns that they are rebel angels who helped in the evolution of the universe as a way of seeking revenge against the creator. Will comes in contact with angels and they inform him that some of their characteristics are that they tell the truth, that they are physically weaker than humans and that on very rare occasions a dead person can become an angel. They also have different powers and alliances and have been oppressed by the Authority (God)37. While most angels seem to be against God, a few angels are with him, including his Regent, Metatron. Metatron is proud38 and he was once a man named Enoch who had many wives. When the sons of Heaven fell in love with the daughters of earth, Metatron was o.k. with it but God was not. He made Metatron prophecy their doom39. Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter would devise a plan to destroy Metatron. In a showdown reminiscent of Jacob wrestling God, Mrs. Coulter says, But hes only an angel, after all even if he was once a man. And we can wrestle with him and bring him to the edge of

32 My names Will Parry, he said. I dont know what you mean about demons. In my world demon meansit means, devil, something evil. The Subtle Knife, p. 18.  The Subtle Knife, p. 121.  Angels are creatures of Shadow matter? Of Dust? Structures. Complexifications. Yes. And shadow matter is what we have called spirit? From what we are, Spirit; from what we do, matter. Matter and spirit are one. And did you intervene in human evolution? Yes Why? Vengeance. Vengeance foroh! Rebel angels! After the war in heavenSatan and the Garden of Edenbut it isnt true, is it? The Subtle Knife, p.219-21.  Do you tell the truth? he said. Yes. They are you stronger than human beings, or weaker? Weaker. You have true flesh, we have not. The Amber Spyglass, p.10.  Do people become angels when they die? Is that what happens? Not always. Not in the vast majority of casesVery rarely. The Amber Spyglass, p.15. 37 Angels are more difficult to understand than any human being. Theyre not all of one kind, to begin with; some have greater powers than others; and there are complicated alliances among them, and ancient enmities, that we know little about. The Authority has been suppressing them since he came into being. The Amber Spyglass, p. 187. 38 Metatron is proud, The Amber Spyglass, p. 54. 39 When I was man, I was known as Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Kenan, the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam. I lived on earth sixty-five years, and then the Authority took me to his kingdom. And you had many wives. I loved their flesh. And I understood it when the sons of Heaven fell in love with the daughters of earth, and I pleaded their cause with the Authority. But his heart was fixed against them, and he made me prophesy their doom. The Amber Spyglass, p. 356-57.

the gulf, and well both go down with him40 Mrs. Coulter would seduce41 Metatron and get him to come to the abyss where Lord Asriel wrestled him into it42. DUST Dust is the word used for dark matter, a conscious, elemental material that holds the world together and apparently brings unity to it. It did not exist until roughly 33,000 years ago when man had evolved enough to become conscious of himself. Dust is consciousness. No consciousness, no Dust. How unconscious matter becomes conscious is not dealt with in the trilogy. In the beginning of the book, no one understands what Dust is. The church first learned of the existence of Dust thanks to a scientist named Rusakov. He was initially thought to be possessed and the church performed an exorcism on him. Even so, his finds proved true. This led the church to conclude that Dust was original sin. A lengthy conversation Lyra had with her father explains why. He starts out by quoting a passage out of the Bible (a modified version of Genesis chapter 3), which is the fall of Eve in the Garden of Eden. He then explains its connection to Dust: Anyway, its what the Church has taught for thousands of years. And when Rusakov discovered Dust, at last there was physical proof that something happened when innocence changed into experience. Incidentally, the Bible gave us the name Dust, as well. At first they were called Rusakov Particles, but soon someone pointed out a curious verse toward the end of the Third Chapter of Genesis, where Gods cursing Adam for eating the fruit. He opened the Bible again and pointed it out to Lyra. She read: In the sweat of they face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return Lord Asriel said, Church scholars have always puzzled over the translation of that verse. Some say it should be read not unto dust shall thou return but thou shalt be subject to dust, and others say the whole verse is king of pun on the words ground and dust, and it really means that Gods admitting his own nature is partly sinful. No one agrees. No one can, because the text is corrupt. But it was too good a word to waste, and thats why the particles became known as Dust. 47 With this knowledge, Lord Asriel sets out to destroy dust, so as to destroy sin and death48. The church performed its own
40 The Amber Spyglass, p.362. 41 He [Metatron] was blinded by his twin obsessions, to destroy Lyra and possess her mother. The Amber Spyglass, p.361. 42 He [Asriel] fought the Regent of Heaven, the angel Metatron, and he wrestled him down into the abyss. Metatron is gone forever. So is Lord Asriel. The Amber Spyglass, p.429.  There was a cutoff point about thirty, forty thousand years ago. Before that, no Shadows. After that, plenty. And thats about the time, apparently, that modern human beings first appeared. I mean, you know, our remote ancestors, but people no different from us, really The Subtle Knife, p. 78-79.  Now, all discoveries of this sort, because they have a bearing on the doctrines of the Church, have to be announced through the Magisterium in Geneva. And this discovery of Rusakovs was so unlikely and strange that the inspector from the Consistorian Court of Discipline suspected Rusakov of diabolic possession. He performed an exorcism in the laboratory, he interrogated Rusakov under the rules of the Inquisition, but finally they had to accept the fact that Rusakov wasnt lying or deceiving them: Dust really existed. That left them with the problem of deciding what it was. And given the Churchs nature, there was only one thing they could have chosen. The Magisterium decided that Dust was the physical evidence for original sin. The Golden Compass, p. 325.  And I got to find out about Dust, Lyra explained, Because the Church people in my world, right, theyre frightened of Dust because they think its original sin. So its very important. The Subtle Knife, p.75.  Go to the shelf beside the desk and bring me the Bible. Lyra did so, and handed the big black book to her father. You do remember the story of Adam and Eve? Course, she said, She wasnt supposed to eat the fruit and the serpent tempted her, and she did. And what happened then? UmmThey were thrown out. God threw them out of the garden. God had told them not to eat the fruit, because they would die. Remember, they were naked in the garden, they were like children, their daemons took any form they desired. But this is what happened. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, they your eyes shall be opened, and your daemons shall assume their true forms, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to reveal the true form of ones daemon, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they saw the true form of their daemons, and spoke with them. But when the man and the woman knew their own daemons, they knew that a great change had come upon them, for until that moment it had seemed that they were at one with all the creatures of the earth and the air, and there was no difference between them: And they saw the difference, and they knew good and evil; and they were ashamed, and they sewed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness And that is how sin came into the world, he said, sin and shame and death. It came the moment their daemons became fixed. The Golden Compass, p. 326-327. 47 The Golden Compass, p. 327-328. 48 Somewhere out there is the origin of all the Dust, all the death, the sin, the misery, the destructiveness in the world. Human beings cant see anything without wanting to destroy it, Lyra. Thats original sin. And Im going to destroy it. Death is going to die. The Golden Compass, p. 331.

experiments and found that Dust settled on children when their daemons took on a fixed shape (at the onset of adulthood). They decided that if a person could be separated from their daemons49, they may not be exposed to Dust (original sin). This led the church to run horrible experiments50 on children, as they worked at severing the child from his/her daemon. The process worked, preventing dust settling on the children, but the process had turned the children into mindless zombies. As the story progresses, Lyra contacts Dr. Malone who specializes in dark matter (Dust). Lyra begins to believe that Dust is not evil like the church thinks it is51. Over time they begin to understand that Dust is conscious and speaks to them52. The Dust speaks to Lyra through her alethiometer (a compasslike device) and to Dr. Malone, first through her special computer and then through her copy of the I Ching (a Chinese divination tool). We also find throughout the book that Shamans and witches tap into this Dust (consciousness) to discern the truth. Lyra teaches Will how to tap into this consciousness late in the story. As the book draws to a close, we learn that human beings and daemons, when they die, because a part of the Dust and can even find each others particles after death. Will and Lyra, when they die, expect to find each other and spend the rest of eternity together as Dust57. In fact, it is mentioned that even a living person is made partly of Dust58. Pullmans point is that the entire universe is full of this universal consciousness59. Everyone can tap into it if we just let it teach us how to listen. This is a mixture of Eastern mysticism and wiccan understandings of the universe. GOD As the story unfolds, we see from the start that the church is evil. Over time, we are given information about the God they serve. Pullman makes it very clear that he is talking about the God of the Bible. One discourse between Will and two angels specifically names him and tells of his nature. Tell me, then, said Will. Tell me about Metatron, and what this secret is. Why did that angel call him regent? And what is the Authority? Is he God? He sat down, and the two angels, their forms clearer in the moonlight than he had ever seen them before, sat with him. Balthamos said quickly, The Authority, God, the Creator, the Lord, Yahweh, El Adonai, the King, the Father, the Almighty-those were all names he gave himself. He was never the creator. He was an angel like ourselves-the first angel, true, the most powerful, but he was formed of Dust as we are, and Dust is only a name or what happens when matter begins to understand itself. Matter loves matter. It seeks to know more about itself, and Dust is
49 Perhaps if the daemon were separated from the body, we might never be subject to Dust-to original sin. The question was whether it was possible to separate daemon and body without killing the personThe Africans have a way of making a slave called a zombie. It has no will of its own; it will work day and night without ever running away or complaining. It looks like a corpse Its a person without their daemon! The Golden Compass, p. 329. 50 All I can tell you is that where there are priests, there is a fear of dust. Mrs. Coulter is not a priest of course, but she is a powerful agent of the Magisterium, and it was she who set up the Oblation Board and persuaded the Church to pay for Bolvangar, because of her interest in DustSo dust may be strange, and we wonder at it, but we dont fret and tear things apart to examine it. Leave that to the Church. The Golden Compass, p. 278-279. 51 Then you could talk to the shadows like I talk to the alethiometer. But what I want to know is, why do the people in my world hate it? Dust, I mean, Shadows. Dark matter. They want to destroy it. They think its evil. But I think what they do is evil. I seen them do it. So what is it? Shadows? Is it good or evil, or what? The Subtle Knife, p.84. 52 Shadows are particles of consciousness. they know were here. They answer back. And here goes the crazy part: you cant see them unless you expect to. Unless you put your mind in a certain state. You have to be confident and relaxed at the same time. The Subtle Knife, p. 78.  Yes, its Chinese. A form of divinationfortune telling, really.And, yes, they use sticks. Its only up there for decoration, she said, as if to reassure Lyra that she didnt really believe in it. Youre telling me that when people consult the I Ching, theyre getting in touch with Shadow particles? With dark matter? Yeah, said Lyra, Theres lots of ways, like I said. I hadnt realized before. I thought there was only one. The Subtle Knife, p.83.  He turned to Grumman, but found him deep in a trance. The shamans eyes were closed, and beads of sweat stood out on his forehead as he rocked gently back and forth. Did you bring the storm? said Lee. Grumman nodded. The Subtle Knife, p. 250.  He found it easier to see the shadows if he didnt look at them. They were more willing to show themselves to the corners of his eye, and when he said so to Lyra, she said, Its negative capability. The Amber Spyglass, p. 410.  Lee Scoreby passed through the heavy clouds and came out under the brilliant stars, where the atoms of his beloved daemon, Hester, were waiting for him. The Amber Spyglass, p. 373. 57 Ill be looking for you, Will, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, well cling together so tight that nothing and no onell ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of youWell live in the birds and the flowers and dragonflies and pine trees and in clouds and in those little specks of light you see floating in sunbeamsAnd when they use our atoms to make new lives, they wont just be able to take one, theyll have to take two, one for you and one of me, well be joined so tight The Amber Spyglass, p. 450. 58 And she herself was partly shadow matter. Part of her was subject to this tide that was moving through the cosmos. The Amber Spyglass, p.329. 59 The entire world was alive and conscious. The Amber Spyglass, p.401.

formed. The first angels condensed out of Dust, and the Authority was the first of all. He told those who came after him that he had created them, but it was a lie. One of those who came later was wiser than he was, and she found out the truth, so he banished her. We serve her still. And the Authority still reigns in the Kingdom, and Metatron is his Regent.60 So Pullman suggests that God is created, is not all wise, and is a liar. He also says that God is a tyrant61 and has suppressed all powers since he came into being.62 Since he is a created being, he is obviously aging. That is why he is called the ancient of days. In fact, Mrs Coulter even postulates in the middle of the story that God may even be dead already: Well, where is God, said Mrs. Coulter, If hes alive? And why doesnt he speak anymore? At the beginning of the world, God walked in the garden and spoke to Adam and Eve. Then he began to withdraw, and he forbade Moses to look at his face. Later, in the time of Daniel, he was agedhe was the Ancient of Days. Where is he now? Is he still alive, at some inconceivable age, decrepit to die, a rotten hulk? And if that is his condition, wouldnt it be the most merciful thing, the truest proof of our love for God, to seek him out and give him the gift of death? Fortunately, we find that the Authority is not dead yet but is too old to do any good. At the final battle, his Regent Metatron, orders the Authority to be taken to a place of safety away from the battle. Unfortunately, he falls under attack while leaving his kingdom and the crystal litter he was riding in crashes to the ground close to where Lyra and Will are. Demented and powerless, the aged being could only weep and mumble in fear and pain and misery, and he shrank away from what seemed like yet another threat Between them they helped the ancient of days out of his crystal cell; it wasnt hard, for he was as light as paper, and he would have followed them anywhere, having no will of his own Only a few moments later he had vanished completely, and their last impression was of those eyes, blinking in wonder, and a sigh of the most profound and exhausted relief. So God dies, a demented, powerless, clueless old being. DEATH/AFTERLIFE We first learn about death and the afterlife from Wills discussion with the angel Baruch. Sadly, Will learns that it is nothing but a prison camp set up by God to trap the dead in. There is no heaven. Will said, ...what happens when we die? Bathamos looked back, in surprise. Baruch said, Well, there is a world of the dead. Where it is, and what happens there, no one knows. My ghost, thanks to Balthamos, never went there; I am what was once the ghost of Baruch. The world of the dead is just dark to us. It is a prison camp, said Balthamos. The Authority established it in the early ages. Why do you want to know? You will see it in time And what happens in the world of the dead? Will went on. Its impossible to say, said Baruch. Everything about it is secret. Even the churches dont know; they tell their believers that theyll live in Heaven, but thats a lie. If people really knew... And my fathers ghost has gone there. Without a doubt, so have the countless millions who have died before him. With this information Will and Lyra decide to go to this place of the dead to set the ghosts free. How they get there is logically a bit sketchy, but Lyra and Will cut into a world where men, women and children have just been killed and are heading off into the
60 The Amber Spyglass, p.29. 61 The knife, he went on after a minute. They never knew what they were making, those old philosophers. They invented a device that could split open the very smallest particles of matter, and they used it to steal candy. They had no idea that theyd made the one weapon in all the universes that could defeat the tyrant. The Authority. God. The rebel angels fell because they didnt have anything like the knife; but now The Subtle Knife, p. 283. 62 How can it be? The Authority created the worlds, didnt he? He existed before everything. How can he have come into being? This is angel knowledge, said Ogunwe. It shocked some of us, too, to learn that the Authority is not the creator. There may be been a creator. Or there may not: we dont know. All we know is that at some point the Authority took charge, and since then, angels have rebelled, and human beings have struggled against him, too. This is the last rebellion. The Amber Spyglass, p. 188  The Amber Spyglass, p.293-294  The angels carrying the litter left the Clouded Mountain and flew south. Metatrons orders had been to take the Authority to a place of safety away from the battlefield, because he wanted him kept alive for a while yet; The Amber Spyglass, p.357.  The Amber Spyglass, p.366-67.  The Amber Spyglass p. 29.

darkness. They go with them, knowing they will take them to the land of the dead. On their journey, one man quips, Truly, he said, I am deadI am dead, and I am going to Hell67 Others arent so sure. One man, an obnoxious Christian, when asked what will happen when they get where they are going: I expect well be told, said the ghost confidently. Theyll separate out the sinners and the righteous, I dare say. Its no good praying now. Its too late for that. You should have done that when you were alive. No use now. It was quite clear which group he expected to be in, and quite clear, too, that he thought it wouldnt be a big one. The other ghosts heard him uneasily, but he was all the guidance they had so they followed without arguing.68 They would eventually arrive at a holding ground. It was an old city that was completely run down. Pullman points out that even the church buildings in the city were decaying, just like the rest of the buildings69. The ghosts will wait in this city until it is their time. Then their deaths will come to get them and take them to the ferry where the reaper ferries them across to what can only be described as a bleak land of nothingness. Lyra and Will take the ferry ride to the land of the dead. As they travel, the boatman pointedly states that even kings and popes come here70. Once they had crossed they are violently attacked by harpies. The harpies were placed there by God71 to torture the dead with all the bad things they did when they where alive72. Strangely, when Lyra and Will start talking about how things used to be in the world of the living, the harpies stop and listen. Apparently they stopped being cruel because they liked hearing the truth73. Lyra and Will announce that they are going to lead the ghosts out of the land of the dead back to the land of the living. Once there the ghosts would evaporate and become Dust themselves74. Here we have two interesting orations, one from a Christian who had been martyred for her faith, another by a monk. The Christian martyr admits she was wrong dying for her faith and wishes to leave: a young woman came forward. She had died as a martyr centuries before. She looked around and said to the other ghosts: When we were alive, they told us that when we died wed go to Heaven. And they said that Heaven was a place of joy and glory and we would spend eternity in the company of saints and angels praising the Almighty, in a state of bliss. Thats what they said. And thats what led some of us to give our lives, and others to spend years in solitary prayer, while all the joy of life was going to waste around us and we never knew. Because the land of the dead isnt a place of reward or a place of punishment, its a place of nothing. The good come here as well as the wicked, and all of us languish in this gloom forever, with no hope of freedom, or joy, or sleep, or rest, or peace. But now this child has come offering us a way out and Im going to follow her. Even if it means oblivion, friends. Ill welcome it, because it wont be nothing. Well be alive again in a thousand blades of grass, and a million leaves; well be glittering in the dew under the stars and the moon out there in the physical world, which is our true home and always was.75
67 The Amber Spyglass, p. 220. 68 The Amber Spyglass, p. 224. 69 A few churches or public buildings still stood above the rest, though their roofs were holed or their walls cracked, and in one case the whole portico had crumbled onto its columns. The Amber Spyglass, p. 226. 70 But they knew what the truth was in the end: the only position they were in was in my boat going to the land of the dead, and as for those kings and Popes, theyd be in here, too, in their turn, sooner than they wanted. I letem cry and rave; they cant hurt me; they fall silent in the end. The Amber Spyglass, p. 256. 71 Thousands of years ago, when the first ghosts came down here, the Authority gave us the power to see the worst in every one, and we have fed on the worst ever since, till our blood is rank with it and our very hearts sickened. What will we [harpies] do now? I shall tell you what we will do: from now on, we shall hold nothing back. We shall hurt and defile and tear and rend every ghost that comes through, and we shall send them mad with fear and remorse and self-hatred. This is a wasteland now; we shall make it a hell! The Amber Spyglass, p. 283. 72 They come up quite beside you and they whisper all the bad things you ever did when you was alive, so you cant forget em. They know all the worst things about you. They know how to make you feel horrible, just thinking of all the stupid things and bad things you ever did. And all the greedy and unkind thoughts, you ever had, they knowem all, and they shame you up and they make you feel sick with yourselfBut you cant get away from em. The Amber Spyglass, p.276. 73 you kept silent and still. Again, why was that? Because it was true, said No-Name. Because she spoke the truth. Because it was nourishing. Because it was feeding us. Because we couldnt help it. Because it was true. Because we had no idea that there was anything but wickedness. Because it brought us news of the world and the sun and the wind and the rain. Because it was true. The Amber Spyglass, p. 284. 74 and its true, perfectly true. When you go out of here, all the particles that make you up will loosen and float apart, just like your daemons did. If youve seen people dying, you know what that looks like. But your daemons ent just nothing now; theyre part of everything. All the atoms that were them, theyve gone into the air and the wind and the trees and the earth and all the living things. Theyll never vanish. Theyre just part of everything. The Amber Spyglass, p. 286. 75 The Amber Spyglass, p. 286-287.

The monk, however, strongly rebukes her: But her ghost was thrust aside by the ghost of a man who looked like a monk: thin and pale, with dark, zealous eyes even in his death. He crossed himself and murmured a prayer, and then he said: This is a bitter message, a sad and cruel joke. Cant you see the truth? This is not a child. This is an agent of the Evil One himself! The world we lived in was a vale of corruption and tears. Nothing there could satisfy us. But the Almighty has granted us this blessed place for all eternity, this paradise, which to the fallen soul seems bleak and barren, but which the eyes of faith see as it is, overflowing with milk and honey and resounding with the sweet hymns of the angels. This is Heaven, truly! What this evil girl promises is nothing but lies. She wants to lead you to Hell! Go with her at your peril. My companions and I of the true faith will remain here in our blessed paradise, and spend eternity singing the praises of the Almighty, who has given us the judgment to tell the false form the true. Once again he crossed himself, and then he and his companions turned away in horror and loathing.76 The vast majority of the ghosts decide to follow their new saviors, Will and Lyra, out of the land of the dead. Lyra, quoting her father mentions that Death is going to die77 One of their companions adds, This will undo everything. Its the greatest blow you could strike. The Authority will be powerless after this.78 As they made their way out, the people started complaining. The complaints are very reminiscent of the Israelites complaining to Moses: Where is the upper world? How much farther? Were frightened here! We should never have comeat least back in the world of the dead we had a little light and a little companythis is far worse! By what right are you leading us? You are only children! Who gave you the authority?79 Fortunately, they found a place where Will could cut through to another world with his knife. It would be here that Mary Malone, who was on the living side of the hole, would describe what she saw: And out of it was coming a procession of ghostsand looked around, their faces transformed with joyMary had never seen such joyand held out their arms as if they were embracing the whole universe; and then, as if they were made of mist or smoke, they simply drifted away, becoming part of the earth and the dew and the night breezeas far as she could see into the endless silence, more of these ghosts were coming, thousands upon thousands, like refugees returning to their homeland80. With a twist of irony, the harpies are left as guardians of the land of the dead. They tell Lyra and Will that they will willingly help lead out any ghosts who tell them the truth. But if any ghost lies, or holds anything back, they will not lead them out81. Pullmans universalism breaks down here. After all, it really isnt fair to let evil people, who made the lives of so many miserable while they are alive, have the same joy and happiness as everyone else in the afterlife is it? So, the evil, lying people (like those in the church) will have to stay in a land of separation and darkness for all eternity. Pullman has exchanged one hell for another and one judge (God) for another (the harpies). ANTI-CONVERSION It is very evident that Pullman despises the Christian faith. It is not surprising then, that one of the very likeable main characters, Dr. Mary Malone, is an ex-nun of the Roman Catholic Church. Her discussion with Lyra and Will is what I have called an anticonversion. It is, after all, conversion in reverse. She explains why she was a nun, why it was important to her, and then the steps she took to losing her faith.

76 The Amber Spyglass, p. 287. 77 The Amber Spyglass, p. 277. 78 The Amber Spyglass, p. 284. 79 The Amber Spyglass, p. 319-20. 80 The Amber Spyglass, p. 385-386. 81 No-name looked at her sisters, and they nodded. She said: And we have the right to refuse to guide them if they lie, or if they hold anything back, or if they have nothing to tell us. If they live in the world, they should see and touch and hear and learn things. We shall make an exception for infants, who have not had time to learn anything, but otherwise, if they come down here bringing nothing, we shall not guide them out. The Amber Spyglass, p. 286.

Ah, but I knew about them. I used to be a nun, you see. I thought physics could be done to the glory of God till I saw there wasnt any God at all and that physics was more interesting anyway. The Christian religion is a very powerful and convincing mistake, thats all.82 Mary then launches into her personal testimony. It is a testimony any Christian would love to hear. And I was so innocentyou have to remember that. Id been such a good little girl, Id gone to Mass regularly, Id thought I had a vocation for the spiritual life. I wanted to serve God with all my heart. I wanted to take my whole life and offer it up like this, she said, holding up her hands together, and place it in front of Jesus to do as he liked with. And I supposed I was pleased with myself. Too much. I was holy and I was clever. Ha! That lasted, until, oh, half past nine on the evening of August the tenth, seven years ago I was discovering another side of myself, you know, one that liked the taste of wine and grilled sardines and the feeling of warm air on my skin and the beat of music in the background. I relished it.83 But then Mary starts doubting her faith Sister Mary Malone, flirting! What about my vows? What about dedicating my life to Jesus and all that But it gradually seemed to me that Id made myself believe something that wasnt true. Id made myself believe that I was fine and happy and fulfilled on my own without the love of anyone else.84 And I thought: am I really going to spend the rest of my life without ever feeling that again?...Will anyone be better off if I go straight back to the hotel and say my prayers and confess to the priest and promise never to fall into temptation again? Will anyone be the better for making me miserable? And the answer came backno. No one will. Theres no one to fret, no one to condemn, no one to bless me for being a good girl, no one to punish me for being wicked. Heaven was empty. I didnt know whether God had died, or whether there ever had been a God at all And I took the crucifix from around my neck and I threw it in the sea. That was it. All over. Gone. So that was how I stopped being a nun, she said.85 After that, Will asked her if it was hard for her to leave the church. In one way it was, because everyone was so disappointed. Everyone, from the Mother Superior to the priests to my parentsthey were so upset and reproachfulI felt as if something they all passionately believed in depended on me carrying on with something I didnt. But in another way it was easy, because it made sense. For the first time ever I felt I was doing something with all of my nature and not only a part of it. So it was lonely for a while, but then I got used to it.86 Lyra asked if Mary went on to marry the man she had met that night. Mary said, no, but that she did end up moving in with another guy for a while. My family was scandalized. But then we decided wed be happier not living togetherSo Im solitary but happy, if you see what I mean.87 Mary would continue in her discussion with Lyra and Will about how her leaving her faith made her a better person. She said while she was a nun, she didnt have to think about good and evil. She was told what to think by the church88. Now that she is free from religion, she can think for herself. Will then asks her if she stopped think about good and evil now that she doesnt believe in God. It is here Pullman starts preaching universalism: No. But I stopped believing there was a power of good and a power of evil that were outside of us. And I came to believe that good and evil are names for what people do, not for what they are. All we can say is that this is a good
82 The Amber Spyglass, p. 393. 83 The Amber Spyglass, p. 394. 84 The Amber Spyglass, p. 395. 85 The Amber Spyglass, p.397. 86 The Amber Spyglass, p.397-398. 87 The Amber Spyglass, p.398. 88 you said one of the reasons you became a scientist was that you wouldnt have to think about good and evil. Did you think about them when you were a nun? Hmm. No. But I knew what I should think: it was whatever the Church taught me to think. And when I did science, I had to think about other things altogether. So I never had to think about them for myself at all. The Amber Spyglass, p.398.

deed, because it helps someone, or thats an evil one, because it hurts them. People are too complicated to have simple labels.89 Will would then ask Mary if she missed God. She said yes because her faith had given meaning to her life90. After the discussion Mary went out into the night to watch with concern as the dust continued flowing out of their universe for some unknown reason. The entire universe was full of Dust (universal consciousness) alive with purpose. But because there was no God she felt disconnected. She still had no purpose for living91. But as she sat watching the Dust flows, she realized that the nature around her was trying to keep the dust from leaving. The trees were bending and contorting to come in contact with it. Nature needed the dust to live. She had found her purpose92! She needed to save the environment! And so ends the anti-conversion of Mary, from a non-thinking, innocent, good Christian girl who ignorantly believed in a nonexistent God to a smart woman of the world who believed only what she could see and touch and taste and who found her meaning in life by saving the environment. The irony is that Mary left the church so she could pursue her passions but she seems to be right back where she had started; single, isolated and studying science. LYRA as EVE A prophecy is given that tells us that Lyra will represent Eve93 in the garden and will also be tempted. The church believes this is a bad thing, which will allow sin to win.94 So, the church sets out to kill her before she is tempted95. The church instructs Father Gomez to do this which he is thrilled to do96. What the temptation would be is not mentioned. Even at the end of the book it is subtly implied. So to reach my conclusion I had to look more closely at Lyra. She is a young girl who is referred to as innocent97. Yet, she had wished to kill someone98. She also willingly admits that she is good at lying, betraying and cheating.99 I then began to realize that Pullman was speaking of her innocence as the church speaks of women and innocence. Once a woman had lost her virginity, she was no longer innocent. This guess of an interpretation seems to work with the narrative that follows. As more information is revealed, we learn that Eve did the brave thing by listening to the snake and pursuing wisdom. This is reenforced by a fall story also found in the land of the mulefa, where one of their own kind also fell. Here is the story, as it was told to Dr. Mary Malone by one of the mulefa: She [mulefa] had no name before then. She saw a snake coiling itself through the hole in a seedpod, and the snake said- The snake spoke to her? No, no! It is a make-like. The story tells that the snake said, What do you
89 The Amber Spyglass, p.398. 90 Did you miss God? asked Will. Yes, Mary said, Terrible. And I still do. And what I mess most is the sense of being connected to the whole of the universe. I used to feel I was connected to God like that, and because he was there, I was connected to the whole of his creation. But if hes not there, thenThe Amber Spyglass, p.397-99. 91 This was the very thing shed told Will about when he asked if she missed God: it was the sense that the whole universe was alive, and that everything was connected to everything else by threads of meaning. When shed been a Christian, she had felt connected too; but when she left the Church, she felt loose and free and light, in a universe without purpose. And then had come the discovery of the Shadows and her journey into another world, and now this vivid night, and it was plain that everything was throbbing with purpose and meaning, but she was cut off from it. And it was impossible to find a connection, because there was no God. The Amber Spyglass, p. 401. 92 Had she thought that there was no meaning in life, no purpose, when God had gone? Yes, she had thought that. Well, there is now, she said aloud, and again, louder. There is now! The Amber Spyglass, p.404. 93 I beg your pardon, truly. The child, then, is in the position of Eve, the wife of Adam, the mother of us all, and the cause of all sin. The Amber Spyglass, p. 60. 94 And it says that if it comes about that the child is tempted, as Eve was, then she is likely to fall. On the outcome will dependeverything. And if this temptation does take place, and if the child gives in, then Dust and sin will triumph. The Amber Spyglass, p.61. 95 Lyra will somehow, sometime soon, be tempted, as Eve wasthats what they say. What form this temptation will take, I dont know, but shes growing up, after all. Its hard to imagine. And now that the Church knows that, too, theyll kill herWould they dare take the chance that shed refuse this temptation whatever it will be? The Amber Spyglass, p. 183-184. 96 He would never have given up, although it was discouraging; the crucifix around his neck and the rifle at his back were two tokens of his absolute determination to complete the task. The Amber Spyglass, p. 246. 97 Shes innocent and loves so easily. The Amber Spyglass, p. 166. 98 You ought to die! If I can, Ill make someone kill you. Youre not worth leaving alive. Youre The Subtle Knife, p. 144. 99 He was truly fearless, and she admired that beyond measure; but he wasnt good at lying and betraying and cheating, which all came to her as naturally as breathing. When she thought of that, she felt warm and virtuous, because she did it for Will, never for herself. The Amber Spyglass, p. 152.

know? What do you remember? What do you see ahead? And she said, Nothing, nothing, nothing. So the snake said, Put your foot through the hole in the seedpod where I was playing, and you will become wise. So she put a foot in where the snake had been. And the oil entered her blood and helped her see more clearly than before, and the first thing she saw was the sraf. It was so strange and pleasant that she wanted to share it at once with her kindred. So she and her mate took the seedpods, and they discovered that they knew who they were, they knew they were mulefa and not grazers. They gave each other names. They named themselves mulefa. They named the seed tree, and all the creatures and plants.100 So, giving in to the snake led to wisdom. Dr. Malone, when she was talking with the Dust through her special computer, was instructed to find Lyra and to play the serpent.101 At first, she (as well as the reader) is unsure what this means. She gets a hint with the ghosts escaping from the land of the dead who tell her to tell Lyra the truth about her past. Mary then launches into her story about abandoning God and the church. [SEE ALSO: Anti-conversion] She tells Lyra how she had fallen in love and how those feelings were what led her to reject her faith. During the telling of the story Lyra felt different. As Mary said that, Lyra felt something strange happen to her body. She felt as if she had been handed the key to a great house she hadnt know was there, a house that was somehow inside her, and as she turned the key, she felt other doors opening deep in the darkness, and lights coming on. She sat trembling as Mary went on:102 It was obvious what was happening. It would be shortly there after that Lyra would fall in love with Will. When Father Gomez, who had been sent to kill Lyra before her fall, saw the two of them together, he knew what was up. Father Gomez found himself praising God for his mission, because it was clearer than ever that the boy and the girl were walking into mortal sin.103 The mortal sin implied here can only be pre-marital sex. One day Will and Lyra went off for a picnic when the fateful moment happened. Then Lyra took one of those little red fruits. With a fast-beating heart, she turned to him and said, Will And she lifted the fruit gently to his mouth.104 It is not surprising that a woman in a garden is giving a man a piece of fruit. At that moment their emotions are set aflutter and they delve deeply into their passions. Pullman never comes out and says what actually did happen, but the implication is strong. After their encounter, Dr. Malone immediately notices a change in the Dust patterns. The Dust was not flowing out any more, it was staying in place105! Then Mary saw Lyra and Will coming towards her from a distance, walking hand in hand. She knew what had happened. There was no need for the glass; she knew what she would see; they would seem to be made of living gold. They would seem the true image of what human beings always could be, once they had come into their inheritance.106 So, they had become adults and somehow that had changed everything. Even Mary didnt understand it, she just knew it happened107. Pullman adds to his humanistic universalism by taking the old Gnostic belief that Eve did the right thing in the garden by daring to seek after wisdom and integrated it into his story. LESSER AGENDAS Pullman, like many authors, uses his fictional work to promote various agendas. While his universal, humanistic, anti-God agenda dominates the book, I have included some of the more subtle agendas he also worked in. THE ENVIRONMENT When Lyra asks about the climate in Wills world he quips, But the climates been changing. The summers are hotter than they used to be. They say that people have been interfering with the atmosphere by putting

100 The Amber Spyglass, p. 200. 101 The Subtle Knife, p.219-21. 102 The Amber Spyglass, p.396. 103 The Amber Spyglass, p.415. 104 The Amber Spyglass, p. 416. 105 The terrible flood of Dust in the sky had stopped flowing. It wasnt still, by any means; Mary scanned the whole sky with the amber lens, seeing a current here, an eddy there, a vortex farther off: it was in perpetual movement, but it wasnt flowing away anymore. In fact, if anything, it was falling like snowflakes. The Amber Spyglass, p.420-21. 106 The Amber Spyglass, p.421. 107 Something tiny but crucialIf you wanted to divert a mighty river into a different course, and all you had was a single pebble, you could do it, as long as you put the pebble in the right place to send the first trickle of water that way instead of this. Something like that happened yesterday. I dont know what it was. They saw each other differently, or somethingUntil then, they hadnt felt like that, but suddenly they did. And then the Dust was attracted to them, very powerfully, and it stopped flowing the other way. The Amber Spyglass, p. 428.

chemicals in it, and the weathers going out of control.108 Dr. Malone one evening sat contemplating the sudden loss of Dust from the world she was in. But the vast flood in the sky was another matter entirely. That was new, and it was catastrophic. And if it wasnt stopped, all conscious life would come to an end. As the mulefa had shown her, Dust came into being when living things became conscious of themselves; but it needed some feedback system to reinforce it and make it safe, as the mulefa had their wheels and the oil from the trees. Without something like that, it would all vanish. Thought, imagination, feeling, would all wither and blow away, leaving nothing but a brutish automatism; and that brief period when life was conscious of itself would flicker out like a candle in every one of the billions of world where it had burned brightly.109 I just cannot help but think this is a comparison to the holes in the ozone. I am not suggesting Christians should be against this agenda. I am only pointing out that it is here. EVOLUTION Pullman uses the word evolved various times throughout the book. It is used to describe how humans started realizing Dust existed110. It is also described as how some animals had backbones and others didnt111. HOMOSEXUALITY Pullman never comes out and says that the Angels Baruch or Balthamos are gay. However, they frequently talk of their deep love for each other. Balthamos explained to Will that he could read Baruchs mind. Of course I read his mind. Wherever he goes, my heart goes with him; we feel as one, though we are two.112 Will asks him a few moments later, Where is your companion now?113 When the two angels are finally back together, Will notes, The next moment, the two angels were embracing, and Will, gazing into the flames, saw their mutual affection. More than affection: they loved each other with a passion.114 When Baruch is killed, Bathamos feels it immediately. Will senses something is wrong and asks him about it. Baruch is dead, cried Balthamos, my dear Baruch is dead- When? Where? But Balthamos couldnt tell; he only knew that half his heart had been extinguished.115 KILLING & JUST WAR In Pullmans work, war is an evil machine of the church. The only reason anyone else does it is for self protection. For example, the first person our hero Will kills he exclaims I hate this, said Will passionately, truly, truly, I hate this killing! When will it stop?116 The second time he is forced to kill the narration tells us, Will did not want this. His body revolted at what his instinct had made him do, and the result was a dry, sour, agonizing spell of kneeling and vomiting until his stomach and his heart were empty.117 In each instance, Will is terribly sorry he had to do it. I guess feeling bad about it afterwards makes it o.k. After all, he isnt like those cold blooded Christians who have no remorse in torturing and killing others118. Concerning the final battle that Lord Asriel is planning against God and the Kingdom of Heaven, one of his generals is asked if he will initiate the attack. And is he going to attack the Kingdom of Heaven? Were not going to invade the Kingdom, he said, but if the Kingdom invades us, they had better be ready for war, because we are prepared. Mrs. Coulter, I am a king, but its my proudest task to join Lord Asriel in setting up a world where there are no kingdoms
108 The Subtle Knife, p.273. 109 The Amber Spyglass, p.403. 110 it had to do with the great change in human history symbolized in the story of Adam and Eve; with the Temptation, the Fall, Original Sin. In his investigations among fossil skulls, her colleague Oliver Payne had discovered that around thirty thousand years ago a great increase had taken place in the number of shadow particles associated with human remains. Something had happened then, some development in evolution, to make the human brain an ideal channel for amplifying their effects. The Amber Spyglass, p. 199. 111 Some lucky chance in our worlds long ago must have meant that creatures with backbones had it a bit easier, so all kinds of other shapes developed, all based on the central spine. In this world, chance went another way, and the diamond frame was successful. The Amber Spyglass, p. 390 112 The Amber Spyglass, p.20. 113 The Amber Spyglass, p.21. 114 The Amber Spyglass, p.23. 115 The Amber Spyglass, p.83. 116 The Amber Spyglass, p.26. 117 The Amber Spyglass, p. 145. 118 No, theyre bound to kill her. If they could, theyd go back to the Garden of Eden and kill Eve before she was tempted. Killing is not difficult for them; Calvin himself ordered the deaths of children; theyd kill her with pomp and ceremony and prayers and lamentations and psalms and hymns, but they would kill her. If she falls into their hands, shes dead already. The Amber Spyglass, p. 183-184.

at all. No kings, no bishops, no priests. The Kingdom of Heaven has been known by that name since the Authority first set himself above the rest of the angels. And we want no part of it. This world is different. We intend to be free citizens of the Republic of Heaven.119 And of course, right on cue, the Kingdom of Heaven does attack Lord Asriel so he is forced to defend himself. It leads one to wonder, though, what would have happened if the Kingdom of Heaven did not attack? Would Lord Asriel have launched a pre-emptive strike against his enemy? MISSIONS & MISSIONARIES When Dr. Mary Malone enters another world she comes across a very primitive civilization of creatures called mulefa. Pullman sets them up as a group much like Native Americans120. This is especially true when their enemies are flying birds that have white wings that looked like sails121 and are mistaken by Mary to be boats. These birds would come from over the horizon (think explorer ships) and would pillage and burn their towns122. This point is re-enforced with Father Gomez. He was sent to this world by the church to kill Lyra before she sinned. He immediately confronts and kills one of the flying birds. They immediately submit to his will.123 When he discovers the mulefa culture he makes the comment that he wants to evangelize them. He would do this by calling some of their ordinary activities Satanic and thus make them fearful of punishment124. In this way he could control them too. REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY IN GENERAL Lyra, in a conversation with her daemon says, if they all think Dust is bad, it must be good. Weve heard them all talk about Dust, and theyre so afraid of it, and you know what? We believed them, even though we could see that what they were doing was wicked and evil and wrongWe thought Dust must be bad too, because they were grown up and they said so. But what if it isnt? What if its-125 The moral here is that if something feels right, it must be, regardless of what the adults say about it. This is typical humanism. PULLMANS NEW RELIGION At the end of the book I was somewhat humored by what was taking place. Pullman had systematically destroyed one faith, only to establish another in its place. Let me explain. Apparently, there is only ONE WAY to get out of the land of the dead. If you do not know the system, you will be stuck there forever. No amount of science can discern this truth. Only the testimonies of two people, Lyra and Will, can set people free from an eternity of despair. Lyra realizes this and tells Will that they have to evangelizeurgo around telling people the truth about the afterlife.126 As one might imagine, the truth about the afterlife is extremely important. A few people quickly realized they needed to talk to Lyra and learn all they could from her about it.127 I wonder if they will become her disciples and go around sharing this crucial message with everyone they know? One would hope that they will also write down everything she says. I would recommend a book
119 The Amber Spyglass, p. 188. 120 On one occasion she saw the mulefa cull a herd of grazers, selecting some individuals and herding them away from the rest, to dispatch them by breaking their necks with a wrench of a powerful trunk. Nothing was wasted. Holding flakes of razor-sharp stone in their trunks, the mulefa skinned and gutted the animals within minutes, and then began a skillful butchery, separating out the offal and the tender meat The Amber Spyglass, p. 113. 121 Without telling the others why, Mary looked out to the distant sea, scanning the horizon for white sails. The Amber Spyglass, p. 391 122 They tore open the food stores, snarling and growling and tossing their great cruel beaks high as they swallowed the dried meat and all the preserved fruit and grain. Everything edible was gone in under a minuteThen the great snow-white birds set about demolishing everything they could see with brutal, raking blows of their feet and stabbing, smashing, shaking tearing movements of their beaks. The Amber Spyglass, p. 116-117. 123 If they knew what death was, thought Father Gomez, and if they could see the connection between death and himself, then there was the basis of a fruitful understanding between them. Once they had truly learned to fear him, they would do exactly as he said. The Amber Spyglass, p. 331. 124 and whether he would please the Kingdom of Heaven more by going back to Geneva or staying to evangelize this world. The first thing to do here would be to convince the four-legged creatures, who seemed to have the rudiments of reason, that their habit of riding on wheels was abominable and Satanic, and contrary to the will of God. Break them of that, and salvation would follow. The Amber Spyglass, p.415. 125 The Golden Compass, p. 349-50. 126 The true stories, yes, she said, the true stories the harpies want to hear in exchange. Yes. So if people live their whole lives and theyve got nothing to tell about it when theyve finished, then theyll never leave the world of the dead. Weve got to tell them that, Will. The Amber Spyglass, p. 441. 127 To know that after a spell in the dark well come out again to a sweet land like this, to be free of the sky like the birds, well, thats the greatest promise anyone could wish for. We must talk to Lyra about this, said Farder Coram, and learn how it came about and what it means. The Amber Spyglass, p. 450.

just dedicated to that information. Maybe the book could be leather bound so as to show its importance from other less important works. Of course, all information about what pleases the universe would also need to be included in the material passed along, like the following: And if you help everyone else in the worlds to do that, by helping them to learn and understand about themselves and each other and the way everything works, and by showing them how to be kind instead of cruel, and patient instead of hasty, and cheerful instead of surely, and above all to keep their minds open and free and curiousThen they will renew enough [Dust] to replace what is lost through one window. So there could be one left open.128 I wonder if they will write songs about the heroics of Will and Lyra and set aside certain days to commemorate the day she and Will set the captives free from death. Sacred sites will also help people remember the past. It is a good thing the mulefa already thought of that, designating the place where the ghosts re-enter life as a holy place.129 I would guess more holy places will follow. Of course, the best part about religion is that it makes us feel secure about our future. This is something Farder Corman summed up so brilliantly when he said, Well, this is a mystery, said Farder Corman, and Im glad I lived long enough to see it. To go into the dark of death is a thing we all fear; say what we like, we fear it. But if theres a way out for that part of us that has to go down there, then it makes my heart lighter.130 Now of course, if I were to tell you that I think a person should exercise their freedom not to believe this new religion, you would think I am crazy. After all, the story is true. But how do you know it is true? What happens when Lyra and Will pass away? All you will have are their written testimonies and the words of their disciples who remember what they said. Science and mathematics cannot prove their words true. No, you have to rely on the testimony of those who believe it is true. Alas, there is the rub. It cannot be proven or even verified. You must have faith, and trust in the documents of their testimonies passed on to you. You ultimately must have faith in someone other than yourself. CONCLUSION So where does all of this leave the Christian? I have often heard the argument that these books are only fantasy and we should not get so worked up over them. But does that give us the right to suspend our moral conscience? Can we as Christians cheer on heroes who pathologically lie, cheat and steal and whos ideologies mock ours? Can we conveniently set aside our love of God so that we can watch him die a poor, miserable old fool? No, we cannot. Our love for Him kicks in and we are offended. Fantasy or not, our morals, our understanding of right and wrong is driven by Gods Holy Spirit within us and His Word. They reveal to us right and wrong even when the moral system is confused and cloaked in fictional fantasy. It is this Christian conscience that is repulsed by the anti-Christian slander in Pullmans books. It lies about our God, treats our Bible texts with disrespect and scoffs at our church and leaders. The trilogy is blasphemous. The message and the story that carries it leaves a bitter taste in our mouths. It must be spit out. As Christians the best thing we can do with such unpalatable and blasphemous material is to avoid the books and movies entirely and to make sure our Christian brothers and sisters do likewise. Granted, our protests will probably not stop such stories from being written or such movies from being made. However, it is during these moments that we as Christians stand up to stand apart. We show our children as well as the world that we have a moral ethic that we live by and that it has a direct influence over our lives. I cannot help but think, in this age of humanism and universalism with its lack of absolutes and conviction, that our resolute stand on the unshakable moral foundations of the Word of God will catch peoples attention. They will notice our beacon of light in this world of darkness and be drawn closer to it.

Review by D. L. Gray 113007

128 The Amber Spyglass, p.440. 129 So John Faa, Farder Coram, Mary and Serafina went with them to the place where the land of the dead opened, and where the ghosts were coming out, still in their endless procession. The mulefa were planting a grove around it, because it was a holy place, they said; they would maintain it forever; it was a source of joy. The Amber Spyglass, p.450. 130 The Amber Spyglass, p. 450.