Nightfall

In the original short story, Asimov presented religion as an antagonistic force, embodied by a religious organization known only as the Cult. This name naturally evokes the negative connotations typically associated with religious fundamentalism and mysticism. The novel expansion of “Nightfall” allows Asimov and Silverberg to portray religion in a more complex light. Renamed the Apostles of Flame, the religious powers that reside in Saro City play a compelling role in reorganizing society and mitigating the impact of future calamities.

First, it is important to note that many of the secular characters demonstrate a natural apprehension for religion. When Athor 77 hints at the need to collaborate with the Apostles, he repeatedly distances himself from the Apostles’ mystical teachings, urging his colleagues to do the same. Similarly, Siferra 89 becomes reluctant to share her interpretations of the Thombo tablets when she learns that they are related to the contents of the Apostles’ scriptures. The most aggressive opposition to the Apostles comes finally from Theremon 762, who sees religion as an outdated institution whose functions harken back to medieval times. He reviles the Apostles so much that when Athor’s name becomes associated with the Apostles’ figurehead, Mondior 71, he openly criticizes Athor and the astronomers, laying the foundation for science to be vilified in the post-eclipse world.

Despite their opposition to faith and mysticism, the secular characters of Nightfall demonstrate some adherence to the idea of superstition and its relationship to historical tradition, hinting at the possibility of alignment between science and religion. When Beenay 25 first presents his findings to Athor, Athor asks him to recall the principle of Thargola’s Sword, which he describes as a staple of medieval philosophy. This principle, which says that the most complex hypothesis is the least likely to be true, is analogous to the real-life principle known as Occam’s Razor, attributed to the medieval scholastic philosopher William of Ockham. Athor’s use of this medieval idea serves as a reminder that Kalgash’s medieval era was not devoid of reason, and that religion and reason have not always been opposed to one another. Thargola (like Ockham) was a religious cleric, but he nonetheless devised a principle of logic still in use by present-day scientists.

Theremon likewise demonstrates his faith in things that are not guaranteed by logic, such as his intuition that Siferra could be found in the vast woods around Saro City, rather than at Amgando with the other scientists. At the end of the book, he remarks to Siferra that a four-sun day is a sign of luck. In this sense, he accepts that some signs can be interpreted according to non-rational systems of meaning.

What Asimov and Silverberg seem to argue is that religion, despite its conservative value system and outdated approaches, can still be useful in a modern society. Theremon ultimately accepts the necessity of a world led by the Apostles of Flame, even as he disagrees with their teachings and objects to theocracy. He accepts their proposal for a new world on the understanding that the eclipse has set the world back to medieval-era thinking. He also realizes the value of the Apostles’ archival knowledge and preservation systems, which ultimately may be the key to preventing similar cataclysms in the future. If, in Chapter 8, Theremon had reminded Beenay that science is constantly being revised, replacing previously understood truths with new ones, then the same can be said for the political and social sciences, especially history. In the aftermath of the eclipse, scientific rationalism can no longer claim to be the only valid mode of thought. As Theremon realizes, science and religion must work hand-in-hand to achieve the goal of protecting civilization.