Kristin Lavransdatter

Captive Thoughts members spent summer '08 immersed in 14th century Norway -- a place none of us had been before -- arrived at by reading the Kristin Lavransdatter trilogy. A strange and compelling place, if Sigrid Undset's depiction is dependable.

The characters are all larger than life, and we asssume they must be representative of the culture and myths of Norway. Undset weaves a somewhat mystifying history and odd customs in manageable doses, interspersing the recitation of names and places with moments of intense action and emotional interchange between characters.

The narrative follows the life of Kristin from young girlhood through courtship, marriage, and motherhood to death, and unfolds, as she grows, in greater degrees of detail and insight. Young Kristin is unconcerned for and unaffected by the outer world, as long as she feels secure. Maturing, she stumbles in some decisions and only later realizes their consequences. In adulthood, the full weight of guilt for past sins nearly overwhelms her at times, but she remains undaunted throughout and deserves the title 'heroine.'

The books center around Kristin's love for Erlend -- a love that consumes both, for good and ill. It endures stubbornly through every sort of trial, long past what convention, or even wisdom, would say is sufficient. This was a matter of much discussion in the group. I believe everyone enjoyed the adventure and would recommend it to others.

I didn't really intend to be main reviewer for the series. Instead I wanted to talk about a book that made me think of Kristin when I read it. You can read excerpts here. It's a Bible study called Living in His Forgiveness, by Sandy Day, and is for women who have had abortions. I feel it brings to light what is missing in Kristin Lavransdatter.

There's a restlessness about Kristin Lavransdatter that arises from her spiritual condition and the lack of assurance her religion offers. We agreed that the books were remarkable in their insight into the depth and breadth of a person's guilt, as Kristin experiences it. This is a seriousness and attention to detail often lacking in Protestant circles. But at the same time, where is the joy of salvation, of forgiveness both with God and with man?

Kristin seems to bear her sin forever, to the end of her days. In her last conversation with her father, she is still dredging up past prodigality. (Although Lavrans admits his own sinfulness, he stands in the book as almost untouchably righteous. Has he really forgiven her?) Not long before she dies, Kristin feels compelled to take on one more strange quest -- a pilgrimage to yet again or once more fully atone for a callow youth. Grace is mentioned. The work of Christ is alluded to. But there's no redemption.

Similarly, Living in His Forgiveness presents sin and its consequences in an unsparing light. Testimonies by numerous people delve into the fulness of depravity, relating all the opportunities they'd had to avoid or reject abortion. There is blame to go around -- other people involved in the sin -- but, like Kristin, the writers place its full weight on themselves. They also uncover the various layers of suffering caused by sin, in their own lives and in their relationships with others.

Unlike some post-abortion treatments, these consequences are seen for what they are -- symptoms of a greater spiritual truth: Sin separates us from a holy God. Similarly, the only cure for the symptoms and corrective for the underlying cause is the righteousness of Christ applied to our account. Living in His Forgiveness makes it clear sin is doubly awful because it caused sinless Jesus to be separated from God for our sake, but also that we can live by faith in His forgiveness because of that sacrifice.

The title for the Bible study stands in apt contrast to Kristin Lavransdatter. We can go on, we can live, in God's forgiveness. Each writer speaks of the joy that overtook their lives once they realized they'd been given new life in Christ. While we remember our pasts, we don't wallow, we don't dredge. At the foot of the cross, we stand shoulder to shoulder with others who have also been forgiven.