While this story begins to tell the tale of one particular theologian, Aurelian, the reader quickly finds himself being thrown into an examination of religion itself. Borges provides several fictitious religious views, (though they are presented as though they are real religions,) among them are several variations on Christianity. In one religion, time is cyclic, and therefore any immortal is a god, since he can know all that ever has been and ever will be. In another, human life will go on until every possible event has occurred, only after which God will finally cast judgment and save the pious. However, those considered pious among the living are those who perform the most original acts, even if it be a new form of genocide, so long as it hasn’t it been done before; after all, it is these people that help in bringing upon the long-awaited Armageddon. In a final theology mentioned, every person is in fact only half of a total being; one being the exact compliment of the other. Finally the story recommences with Aurelian attending the execution of his arch enemy, heretic John of Pannonia, who Borges suggests, is Aurelian’s other half. The reader is then left to postulate whether Aurelian’s piety is perhaps the cause of John’s evilness.
Other Stories With Theme of Infinite Interpretation
Averroes'
Search (Summary)
The Garden of Forking Paths
(Summary)
The God's Script (Summary)
The Immortal (Summary)
The Library Of Babel (Full Text)
The Library Of Babel (Summary)
Tlon, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius (Summary)