If It’s Just a Symbol, to Hell with It
The great Catholic novelist, Flannery O’Connor, was admirably blunt. She once attended a party where non-Catholics discussed the Eucharist. Her host said that the Eucharist was a very good symbol but that was all it was. O’Connor famously replied, “Well, if it’s just a symbol, to hell with it.”
O’Connor’s objection was not that symbolism is useless or has no place in spiritual matters. Indeed, her stories are filled with it, vividly showing the working of God even among simple and grotesque people. However, she knew that the sacraments are different. The symbolism of the sacraments is made meaningful by the fact that they literally are the things they represent. If this fact were false, the sacraments would be worthless.
Symbolism has been discussed in the media recently because of the work of Dr. Jordan Peterson. He has become well known among both religious and secular people for his courage in the face of oppression, his strong defense of the traditional gender roles, his rich understanding of the importance of archetypes and stories, and his ability to speak intelligently on any subject. However, his discussion of religious matters is severely lacking because, like Flannery O’Connor’s host, he reduces factual truth to mere symbolism.
Peterson has spoken and written extensively on the bible, most notably in his series on Exodus, which is currently being released on YouTube. His work is unique in that he regards scripture with the highest reverence; however, he has refrained from stating that the fundamental truths of the faith are literally, factually true. When he has been asked about these beliefs, he rejects the straight-forward framework that these truths are about literal facts.
This rejection removes any moral nourishment that can be gained from the analysis of the meaning. Of course, there are elements of scripture that should be interpreted symbolically and not in the literal sense. In addition, there are spiritual senses, specifically the allegorical, moral, and anagogical senses. But Jesus Christ, who was a literal, physical person, established a tangible Church which passed down and clarified his teachings. When we read these teachings which are written in the creed, the catechism, and encyclicals, there is no longer a question of what should be taken literally.
