Eric Sams   Letters from an Atheist Letters on Theology and Religion (from Nancy Wansbrough, Letters to an Atheist, 1988)

13. 

23 November 1985.

Dear Nancy,

Of course you're right in saying that my methodology is not clearly applicable, even inimical, to theology. But it's all I can do. I've always been impressed by the legend of Le Jongleur de Notre Dame: all that otherwise maladroit and untalented monk could do was juggle, so he juggled to the point of agonised exhaustion before a statue of Our Lady, who duly descended from her plinth and wiped his brow. There may be a general rule of equilibrium, that all our strengths are by the same token our weaknesses, since it takes so long to be good at anything that there is no time left to excel at anything else, so that we pay for our little knowledge by a lot of compulsory ignorance. But I needn't say all that, because you know it already: and the limitations of the method when applied to theology are already well known to you. However, I must add that I do share at least one precept with the injunctions of scripture namely whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might – and the rest of that melancholy and moving utterance.

Love, yours E.