Summary
Title: The Ecumenical Cruise and Other Three-Legged Chicken Philosophy Tales
Author: Walter Benesch
Publisher: Nonetheless Press
ISBN: 1932053077
Pro:
• Presents otherwise dry concepts in new and fresh light
• Makes for a more interesting discussion about difficult ideas
Con:
• Still a lot of difficult concepts which people may have trouble with
Description:
• Explores various philosophical and theological concepts via short stories
• Forces people to think differently about many things often taken for granted
• Nominated for The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association 2004 Book Award
Book Review
That’s what we have with the recent book The Ecumenical Cruise and Other Three-Legged Chicken Philosophy Tales from Walter Benesch. Professor Emeritus of philosophy at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Benesch has decided to explore various philosophical and theological concepts not through typical explanations, but rather through short tales designed to illustrate the abstract concepts.
These stories include:
Satori at the Doughnut Shop: a doughnut and a doughnut hole debate the differences between ‘nothingness’ and ‘emptiness.’
Queen Vashti Goes to Heaven: a woman rebels against the religious tradition that when women die they are recycled again as women while men get to go to paradise. What does God do for her?
The Bed Bug: a bed bug examines the consequences of drinking a single drop of blood from the little toe of the baby Jesus. Can a bed bug be saved?
The Ecumenical Cruise (title story): the consequences for gods and people when the leaders of all the world’s religions, meeting on a cruise ship to work out their differences, are overcome by methane gas and vote unanimously that “all gods are created equal, and all paths to paradise are equally valid.” What happens when everyone gets into heaven?
My favorite, though, would be “When Siva Lost His Cool.” Taking place during the siege of Antioch of the First Crusade, two people find themselves in a dark cave: Conrad, the Crusader Bishop of Metz and Ibn el Shama, ‘Sword of Islam’ and defender of Antioch. Each has the other’s sword through his head and are on their way to their final reward, but each insists that the other is in for a rude awakening:
- “Infidel, it is Mohammed himself who stands there with a flaming sword waiting for your head to remove it and pitch it willy-nilly into the place of eternal torments!”
- “Devil’s seed, it is Jesus who stands there with Mohammed gift-wrapped in chains, and he will bind him about your scrawny Saracen’s neck and drop you from the skies into the hot place!”
In reality, though, both are in for a very rude awakening:
- “Beyond the door was neither Mohammed nor Jesus, neither Jehovah nor Allah, neither Peter nor Gabriel, but the Beginning of the world, Brahama, placidly dozing on a cushion with eyes shut against the bright light of what seemed to be the open sky. Standing beside the Beginning of the world was the Ending of the world, Siva, gently swaying with four arms weaving about head an body like hand-headed serpents. Pacing back and forth before the Beginning and the End of time was the was the world’s Maintainer and Preserver, Vishnu as Krishna the ‘chariot driver’.“
It seems that Siva and Vishnu have something of a disagreement: Siva believes that the battles are a sign that the world should come to an end and that the ending dance can commence, after which it will be time for Brahama to dream a new dream. Vishnu thinks that he can maintain the balance of the world for a bit longer because the fighting is not an effort to end the world, but merely the lives of adherents of different religions.
