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It’s really Dracula vs Modernity. There’s nothing in the blog post that justifies the usage of the “Catholic” epithet. London is the seat of Anglican faith afte

It’s really Dracula vs Modernity. There’s nothing in the blog post that justifies the usage of the “Catholic” epithet. London is the seat of Anglican faith after all and using type writers and records are secular endeavors.

sdwr 3y ago
That's really splitting hairs. Crucifixes, holy water, and communion wafers are symbols from formal, organized Christianity, of which Catholicism is the most prominent example. It's also a sneaky, underhanded way to make a point. The shell game of argument tactics.
PhasmaFelis 3y ago
Dracula vs. Christian Modernity, maybe, but you can't really argue that religious items weren't crucial and powerful weapons in the the story.
thsksbd 3y ago
But the sacramentals used against him are Catholic (and in Romania Orthodox). I didn't read all of it, but the first two pages of [1] demonstrate how the book is "Catholic" as opposed to Anglican, with the protagonist feeling awkward, as an Anglican, at the icons and crucifixes used as (in the book effective) protection. Keep in mind, for the purposes of the book Catholicism and Orthodoxy can be considered the same as we both believe in icons, consecrated sacraments, apostolic succession, transubstination, etc https://eprints.qut.edu.au/5244/1/5244_1.pdf https://eprints.qut.edu.au/5244/1/5244_1.pdf
- pavel_lishin 3y ago
  > But the sacramentals used against him are Catholic (and in Romania Orthodox). Sure, but they sure ain't modern.
- joosters 3y ago
  But Dracula was defeated by being decapitated and stabbed in the heart. I do hope religion isn't claiming those as their own! FWIW, I like the concept in the book 'I Am Legend' where the vampires are repelled by religious symbols that are meaningful to them, rather than any religion in particular.
  - geon 3y ago
    In Blindsight, vampires have epilepsy triggered by right angles. That explains both the aversion to crosses and the inability to go through a door uninvited.
  - mnw21cam 3y ago
    In https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(2020_TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(2020_TV_series) the writers decided to basically write religion out of the Dracula story, and made it that he is afraid of sunlight, and the only reason he cowers from the big bronze cross is because it is reflecting sunlight at him.
    - pavel_lishin 3y ago
      I enjoyed Dracula's origin in the "Dracula 2000" film; not going to say what it is to avoid spoilers, but it's very religion-centric and explains in great detail why Dracula is affected by the things he's affected by.
ffgjgf1 3y ago
Van Helsing being Dutch must have been a Catholic though? No way he was a Calvinist

sdwr 3y ago

That's really splitting hairs. Crucifixes, holy water, and communion wafers are symbols from formal, organized Christianity, of which Catholicism is the most prominent example. It's also a sneaky, underhanded way to make a point. The shell game of argument tactics.

PhasmaFelis 3y ago

Dracula vs. Christian Modernity, maybe, but you can't really argue that religious items weren't crucial and powerful weapons in the the story.

thsksbd 3y ago

But the sacramentals used against him are Catholic (and in Romania Orthodox). I didn't read all of it, but the first two pages of [1] demonstrate how the book is "Catholic" as opposed to Anglican, with the protagonist feeling awkward, as an Anglican, at the icons and crucifixes used as (in the book effective) protection. Keep in mind, for the purposes of the book Catholicism and Orthodoxy can be considered the same as we both believe in icons, consecrated sacraments, apostolic succession, transubstination, etc https://eprints.qut.edu.au/5244/1/5244_1.pdf https://eprints.qut.edu.au/5244/1/5244_1.pdf

pavel_lishin 3y ago
> But the sacramentals used against him are Catholic (and in Romania Orthodox). Sure, but they sure ain't modern.
joosters 3y ago
But Dracula was defeated by being decapitated and stabbed in the heart. I do hope religion isn't claiming those as their own! FWIW, I like the concept in the book 'I Am Legend' where the vampires are repelled by religious symbols that are meaningful to them, rather than any religion in particular.
- geon 3y ago
  In Blindsight, vampires have epilepsy triggered by right angles. That explains both the aversion to crosses and the inability to go through a door uninvited.
- mnw21cam 3y ago
  In https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(2020_TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracula_(2020_TV_series) the writers decided to basically write religion out of the Dracula story, and made it that he is afraid of sunlight, and the only reason he cowers from the big bronze cross is because it is reflecting sunlight at him.
  - pavel_lishin 3y ago
    I enjoyed Dracula's origin in the "Dracula 2000" film; not going to say what it is to avoid spoilers, but it's very religion-centric and explains in great detail why Dracula is affected by the things he's affected by.

ffgjgf1 3y ago

Van Helsing being Dutch must have been a Catholic though? No way he was a Calvinist