From what I've read, it's an unquestioned axiom that conflict is the essence of drama. That's morally disturbing if true. Is life boring unless we always have obstacles to overcome? Likewise, is life boring unless we're always setting new goals? An endless (vicious?) cycle of conflict and conflict resolution?
Does this mean heaven will be boring? What worldview is implied by the axiom that conflict is the essence of drama?
Is conflict essential to an interesting, fulfilling life–or just essential to an interesting story (novel, movie)? But is that a tenable dichotomy?
Is this an artificial requirement for what constitutes good drama? Is that a natural prerequisite–or has it been conditioned into us? Like needing to get high. It's fun to watch a gripping movie, but you can't live on adrenalin.
Is conflict a staple of drama because it's such an easy, lazy way to write a story? Inject that artificial stimulant. Does it take more imagination and skill to write an interesting, satisfying story that doesn't center on conflict and conflict resolution?
The stereotypical plot forms an arc. The storyteller introduces a point of conflict. The conflict intensifies in a rising motion, then peaks. That's both the dramatic high-point and turning-point, although it may not be the structural turning-point. Usually things come to a head towards the end of the story, to maintain suspense. Then there's the falling motion when the conflict is finally resolved. The climax is delayed for as long as possible to gin up excitement. Build pressure to a breaking point. Everything after conflict resolution is anticlimactic, so that's relegated to the tail-end of the story.
That's a perfectly good plot convention, but must every story be shoehorned into that pattern to be a good story? Once again, what's the relationship between a good story and a good life? If we run out of challenges, must we constantly invent new challenges to be happy? What does that say about the world to come? Can we enjoy life unless there's conflict? In effect, is that just busywork? Filler?
I'm not suggesting we should eliminate conflict from storytelling. Conflict is an inescapable feature of human experience–at least in a fallen world. When we write about real life, that will include many stories where conflict is a central theme.
The question, though, is whether this convention is smothering the potential for good stories that don't center on conflict and conflict resolution. And it goes to the larger question of the relation between life and. Is conflict necessary for a happiness? Seems to me it's about balance. We need a certain amount of variety. We need a certain amount of stability and predictability. We need some repeated pleasures. Striking a balance between change and familiarity.
Some stories have an open ending. They create plot conflict, but leave it unresolved. In real life, many situations lack closure. All the loose ends aren't tied up into a pretty bow. In a sense, hell is a paradigm example of an open ending, where conflict is forever unresolved.
I suspect the Garden of Eden before the Fall is analogous to the future Kingdom of God. Before the Fall Adam and Eve didn't encounter opposition from each other or nature. But they still had things to do. To tend the Garden, maybe even, with their descendants, to expand it to encompass the globe. That can be difficult even without nature opposing them [though as an OEC I suspect there might be something to Dembski's idea that the Fall had prelapsis retroactive effects]. There's something to be said about coming home to rest and enjoy oneself after accomplishing something difficult after a hard day's work. And the satisfaction of doing something either great or small. The frustration we now get from doing small menial things is often party due to the fact that we know we have limited time to get things done [which subconsciously, if not consciously, foreshadows our mortality]. That won't be the case in the Kingdom of God when we'll have all the time in the world to do whatever we will be dong. I like what one preacher said Biblical rest/sabbath is. It's not the cessation of activity, but the enjoyment of one's labors and Christ's labors. Since the Fall, labor is physically and mentally exhausting such that it's often difficult to rest. After daily work or during the weekend, many people are too tired to do anything but recuperate by sleeping. Not so in the Kingdom of God. Our bodies and minds won't be prone to exhaustion.
ReplyDeleteHad the Fall never occurred, Adam and Eve were probably to eventually set up civilizations of architecture, technology and other aspects of culture that Fallen humanity did. But in pure form. I think of Abraham Kuyper's speculations about what might have happened had the Fall never took place, in his Lectures on Calvinism [scanned pdf or audiobook].
I don't know much about Mormonism because I've never taken it seriously. I don't know if this is standard Mormon doctrine, but for all we know, there might be some truth to the idea that some Mormon fiction writers have speculated about [e.g. Orson Scott Card and his Worthing series and Ender series, or even the influence that Mormonism affected in the TV show Battlestar Galactica]. Namely, that humanity will spread throughout the universe. Maybe it'll be true after the 2nd Advent. That humanity will colonize the universe. Steve has speculated that there might be marriage and childbirth in the eschaton. If so, then that could make colonization possible. Since, the fixed number of non-procreating saints who were saved up until the 2nd Advent will not be enough to colonize the galaxy, much less the universe. Or the saints might end up being missionaries to bring the message of salvation to other sentient species throughout the universe. Who knows. All we know is that a God of providence has created an amazing world prior to the 2nd Advent. Surely, such a Wise providential God has something great in store for the faithful. Revelation 21:7 in the NKJV says, "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son." I also think of Keith Green's song I Can Wait To Get To Heaven.
--I suspect the Garden of Eden before the Fall is analogous to the future Kingdom of God. Before the Fall Adam and Eve didn't encounter opposition from each other or nature. But they still had things to do. To tend the Garden, maybe even, with their descendants, to expand it to encompass the globe.--
DeleteMichael Heiser takes this view as the conclusion of The Unseen Realm - Revelation 21-22 is Eden restored and God's two families (heavenly & earthly) reunited. Then we can finally continue the Genesis 1 commission properly.
Great post.
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