Holy the Firm

From the very beginning of Holy the Firm and the opening discussion of daily gods, Dillard makes it clear that she is presenting an alternative view of Christian divinity. While there are many overlaps between Dillard’s God and God as understood by certain Christian denominations, Dillard’s God is unique to Dillard’s own spiritual system.

Dillard’s distinction between high and low Christian churches provides an important perspective on her own belief, but she does not explain the differences between these two types of worship in the text. Generally, high churches emphasize ceremony, ritual, and religious clothing, while low churches practice a freer form of worship. The Anglican, Episcopal, Catholic, and Orthodox Churches are all examples of high churches.

“Holy the Firm” is a substance posited by esoteric Christianity that is “in touch with the Absolute” and that acts almost as a substrate of both the physical and spiritual (69). This substance is lower, in spiritual terms, than the minerals that make up the physical world. Dillard latches on to this substance because it allows for an unbroken connection between God, Christ, and the human world.