The Republic of Heaven
Encyclopedia
The Republic of Heaven, in Philip Pullman
's philosophical fantasy
trilogy His Dark Materials
from 2000, refers to the idea that humans must build their happiness in the here and now, and that the official Church's emphasis on the afterlife
is no more than a diversion by the powerful to repress the common people, even by the monarchical sound of its name: the Kingdom of Heaven
. The idea for the Republic of Heaven was not introduced until the final volume of the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass
, but the reader learns of the virtues required to "build it" throughout the course of the trilogy. This results in the concluding remarks of protagonist Lyra Belacqua
, when she ponders these virtues and deems them the reason for living. This idea is clearly humanistic in nature and makes the trilogy one of the few works of fantasy to dispense with spiritual themes in favor of humanistic virtues.
In the trilogy, the Republic of Heaven originally referred to the physical world that Lord Asriel
was building in an uninhabited parallel universe as part of his rebellion against the Kingdom. The world was intended to be a completely free and king-less society with each person having the responsibility of creating an ideal lifestyle for themselves and others, without the control and oppressiveness of the church. After learning from John Parry that conscious life can only develop successfully in its own world, however, Lyra
and Will
learn that they must create the Republic at home using the ideals of hard work, cheerfulness, kindness, and patience. It is implied that it is up to each person to build the Republic of Heaven where they are, "because for us," says John Parry in The Amber Spyglass
, "there is no elsewhere."
King Ogunwe once said to Mrs Coulter
(in pages 210-211 in Chapter 16 of The Amber Spyglass):
The phrase 'The Republic of Heaven' was coined by Gerrard Winstanley
, the seventeenth century English Christian radical and leader of the Diggers in the English Civil War
.
Winstanley wrote (quoted in Christopher Hill
's The World Turned Upside Down):
Winstanley's ideals underpin much of the philosophy of Pullman's epic. Pullman comments:
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
's philosophical fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
trilogy His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
from 2000, refers to the idea that humans must build their happiness in the here and now, and that the official Church's emphasis on the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
is no more than a diversion by the powerful to repress the common people, even by the monarchical sound of its name: the Kingdom of Heaven
Kingdom of God
The Kingdom of God or Kingdom of Heaven is a foundational concept in the Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.The term "Kingdom of God" is found in all four canonical gospels and in the Pauline epistles...
. The idea for the Republic of Heaven was not introduced until the final volume of the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
, but the reader learns of the virtues required to "build it" throughout the course of the trilogy. This results in the concluding remarks of protagonist Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua , also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra is a young girl who inhabits a universe parallel to our own...
, when she ponders these virtues and deems them the reason for living. This idea is clearly humanistic in nature and makes the trilogy one of the few works of fantasy to dispense with spiritual themes in favor of humanistic virtues.
In the trilogy, the Republic of Heaven originally referred to the physical world that Lord Asriel
Lord Asriel
Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series and one of the main protagonists of Northern Lights.Asriel is a member of the English aristocracy in a parallel universe dominated by the Church...
was building in an uninhabited parallel universe as part of his rebellion against the Kingdom. The world was intended to be a completely free and king-less society with each person having the responsibility of creating an ideal lifestyle for themselves and others, without the control and oppressiveness of the church. After learning from John Parry that conscious life can only develop successfully in its own world, however, Lyra
Lyra Belacqua
Lyra Belacqua , also known as Lyra Silvertongue, is the heroine of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Lyra is a young girl who inhabits a universe parallel to our own...
and Will
Will Parry
Will Parry is one of the protagonists in Philip Pullman's trilogy His Dark Materials, along with Lyra Belacqua. He is first introduced into the series in the second novel, The Subtle Knife, and also appears in the final part of the trilogy, The Amber Spyglass...
learn that they must create the Republic at home using the ideals of hard work, cheerfulness, kindness, and patience. It is implied that it is up to each person to build the Republic of Heaven where they are, "because for us," says John Parry in The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by English author Philip Pullman, and published in 2000....
, "there is no elsewhere."
King Ogunwe once said to Mrs Coulter
Marisa Coulter
Marisa Coulter is a fictional character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and one of the main antagonists of Northern Lights. As with her lover, Lord Asriel, Mrs. Coulter undergoes several transformations during the series.-Lyra:In the beginning of the book The Northern Lights Marisa...
(in pages 210-211 in Chapter 16 of The Amber Spyglass):
The phrase 'The Republic of Heaven' was coined by Gerrard Winstanley
Gerrard Winstanley
Gerrard Winstanley was an English Protestant religious reformer and political activist during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell...
, the seventeenth century English Christian radical and leader of the Diggers in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Winstanley wrote (quoted in Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill (historian)
John Edward Christopher Hill , usually known simply as Christopher Hill, was an English Marxist historian and author of textbooks....
's The World Turned Upside Down):
Winstanley's ideals underpin much of the philosophy of Pullman's epic. Pullman comments:
Further reading
- The Republic of Heaven Lecture by Philip Pullman, 2000