Nils Runeberg Character Analysis

In “Three Versions of Judas,” Nils Runeberg is a Swedish theologian who posits that Judas made a holy sacrifice by betraying Jesus, damning himself to hell so that Jesus could do his good works. Runeburg’s writing is received as heresy, and Runeberg goes mad with the guilt that he has revealed a secret that God did not want him to reveal.

Nils Runeberg Quotes in Ficciones

The Ficciones quotes below are all either spoken by Nils Runeberg or refer to Nils Runeberg. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Investigation and Knowledge Theme Icon
).

14. Three Versions of Judas Quotes

God became a man completely, a man to the point of infamy, a man to the point of being reprehensible—all the way to the abyss. In order to save us, He could have chosen any of the destinies which together weave the uncertain web of history; He could have been Alexander or Pythagoras, or Rurik, or Jesus; he chose an infamous destiny: He was Judas.

Related Characters: Borges/The Narrator (speaker), Nils Runeberg
Page Number and Citation: 155-156
Explanation and Analysis:
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Nils Runeberg Character Timeline in Ficciones

The timeline below shows where the character Nils Runeberg appears in Ficciones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
14. Three Versions of Judas
Perspective, Authorship, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
Borges writes about a fictional 20th-century Swedish theologian named Nils Runeberg. Borges argues that, had Runeberg been born in the early days of Christianity, he would... (full context)
Perspective, Authorship, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
Many theologians and scholars denounce Runeberg. Runeberg amends his theory to say that, while Judas is not necessarily part of God’s... (full context)
Perspective, Authorship, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
Runeberg argues that vices have a trace of virtue in them. For example, he argues that... (full context)
Perspective, Authorship, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
In a third version of the theory, Runeberg argues that Judas is greater than Jesus—if God would have become man, Runeberg argues, he... (full context)
Perspective, Authorship, and Subjectivity Theme Icon
Very few people read Runeberg’s work, and Runeberg believes it is because he has revealed a secret that God did... (full context)