The Odyssey is an ancient story written by Homer. THE Odessey is a recently released movie directed by Christopher Nolan that is supposed to be an adaptation of the Odyssey. I have not read the primary source of the Odessey, and I have been quite nonchalant about this movie. Nevertheless, it is interesting following the controversy surrounding the movie.
What is interesting about the reaction to the movie is how some conservatives and even Christians think it is movie worth seeing, one example seen in this review by Christian theologian Owen Strachan. Now, I am not going to interact with most of the review per se, and I think if one wants a good review, see this one by nerdrotic, but will focus on one particular aspect of the movie seen in Strachan's review: that of the psychology of Odysseus.
Odysseus is a Greek hero of the Trojan War who however took a long journey back home, the long journey being the premise of the Odyssey. In Nolan's movie, Odysseus is internally conflicted over his role in the Trojan War and especially the deception of the Trojan Horse. This PTSD Odysseus is most certainly relatable to "modern audiences" but far from the ideal of the Greek hero, and is a point of criticism by those who treasure historical accuracy and fidelity to the source material. As opposed to these critics, I would like to focus on the issue of worldview and psychology. Is the Odysseus portrayed by Nolan historically plausible? I would think not.
The main issue here is one of worldview. The modern Western worldview is one heavily influenced by Christianity, in particular a strain of Christianity that is more anabaptist in its view of grace and nature. In that view, grace destroys nature. Thus, the modern Western worldview brings the ethics of the Kingdom of God to bear on secular matters, making kindness and forgiveness supreme virtues in public life. It is not an accident that Western liberals took these principles and distort it into support for mass migrations and leniency on criminals, whereas such nonsense would never come to pass in non-Western countries. Likewise, a typical modern Westerner will feel bad about deception in warfare, but non Westerners will feel nothing about such deception. And where the deception succeeds, it is celebrated and to the winners go the spoils.
It needs not be said that Odysseus is not a Christian, modern or otherwise. The pagan Odysseus would never feel guilt over the deception of the Trojan Horse. This Anabaptist strain of Christian influence, after 200 years of Western dominance, is perceived by Westerns like the air they breathe, what is considered normal. It is no surprise therefore that some Western Christians (and not just Strachen) have no issues with it. But this reveals precisely the major blind spot Westerners have: an inability to comprehend other cultures, even pre-Christian Western cultures. Just because Westerners might have PTSD doing what they think is morally wrong does not mean others will feel the same way. A pre-Christian pagan culture that glorifies victory in war and sees kindness as weakness is not going to feel (not just not think) deception in war is wrong. The idea that any ancient pagan will feel bad over what we call today wartime atrocities is quite frankly, ludicious. Genghis Khan has no qualms about ordering the slaughter of every man, woman, and child in Nishapur when they rebelled against him. PTDSD Odysseus is thus inconceivable, and shows the general inability of Westerners to understand non-modern and/or non-Western cultures.
I mentioned that the Christian influence in modern Western culture here is the Anabaptist view on nature and grace, because from my own person as well as as what I have seen, it is possible for true born-again Christians especially in non-Western contexts to have different views concerning grace and punishment and conduct in warfare. For example, I understand in part but cannot comprehend how Westerners see no issue with treating criminals well, and I do not mean by that the issue of human dignity. It is frankly shocking how prisons in modern Western countries can be considered chalets. The idea of restorative justice as being the important thing when it comes to breaking of the law is ridiculous. Any "restorative justice" should happen only after punitive justice has been established. The more I look, the more I perceive that even though we are all Christians, the worldview of Westerners on many things is just alien to me.
