Ok, I joined a book club...yes, I know, pretty dorky huh?
I don't think I would have ever read Marlowe's Dr. Faustus without it. I really enjoyed the play but as a group, we spent much time arguing over its religious implications.
I am the only one who does NOT think that Marlowe was speaking against the church or even that spirituality was his main focus. At least that’s not what came across to me. The fate of Faustus is obvious. Equally obvious is what drove him to this end, lust, specifically for knowledge and power, among other things.
But The BK president disagrees. She says Marlowe may be telling us, in a subtle way, of the ineffectiveness of the Church in protecting man's soul. She said that if I analyzed Marlowe's portrayal of Faustus' conflict with the Papacy I would see that. I still don't. Maybe I'm not looking at it the right way? I’m a new member and I felt kind of like an idiot not being able to join in this perspective. Can someone explain what she meant?