Attanasian Jewel

In the foreword to A. A. Attanasio’s last published work, Twice Dead Things, I read: “Divinity, bored with omniscience, delights in uncertainty”.

Just seven words. Two divine: Divinity, of course; and omniscience, which is intrinsically God’s knowing power. One human: bored, which related to the Divine is but a human construct. One human-divine hybrid: delights, which natively and perfectly belongs only to the Divine, but which is the ultimate reason of all our yearnings and tears. Two instrumental. And one which, in its mystery, belongs only to itself: uncertainty —God’s bliss, man’s bane. A source of joy for the One who being all, possessing all, embraces the adventure of losing Herself (as Attanasio’s, my God is necessarily a She) in all. A well of pain for the many who being nothing, possessing nought, fear the openness and emptiness of time, its disregard for the unfinished story which is man.

I had never read such a synthetic treatise of theology. This is Veda. This is śruti. This is the insight of a mind dwelling in intuitive light. I’m glad A. A. A., after his long absence, is finally back.