Salem van Dalen

What's going on in the universe?
Is there any point to it all?
Why are we here?
Why do we die?
Do we live on after death?
What can we hope for?
From time immemorial, in every age, these questions have persisted, perplexing human beings. They are the big questions that never go away. Mankind developed religion as a search for answers: higher truth. Dutch theologian Salem van Dalen wishes to find the truth above all.

Van Dalen would often say, “Religious beliefs come down to what one wishes to accept as truth… Not the truth.” According to his philosophy, truth is stronger than an opinion. It shapes your entire view of the world. “Your truth,” however, is not the same as “the truth.”

“I embrace the idea of seeking the truth,” van Dalen explains. “I love the construct of deeply held beliefs as a framework for it... I challenge everyone to think harder about what the truth actually is, rather than just hold on to your truth to justify your perspective. Remember, the truth is out there.”

Indeed, the man is dedicated to his studies. Van Dalen is known for his detailed research about the religions of the world, both major and obscure religions alike! As an agnostic theist, he believes there may be a higher power, but it’s impossible to know for sure. His studies are an attempt to figure out if anyone could know for sure.

Things start getting blurry when asked for his reasoning as to why.
“It is simple, really. I am … A corpse, who has wandered the mortal plane for decades... Perhaps a deity can help me figure out why such a curse has been bestowed upon me… Perhaps searching for the truth will guide me towards what I truly seek...”

"Eternal rest.”
While he’s not received a professional diagnosis, psychologists suggest that the man is suffering from the extremely rare mental disorder, Walking Corpse Syndrome, otherwise known as Cotard’s Delusion.

Van Dalen refuses to provide commentary on that matter.

Personality

Quiet, but not in the sense that Salem doesn’t have much to say. If given the opportunity, he can and will ramble to his heart’s consent! It seems as if the theologian is never afraid to speak the truth or say whatever is on his mind... You see, Salem is quiet in the sense that his voice is naturally slow and soft-spoken. Rarely, if ever has the man been seen raising his voice.

Actually, come to think of it, he doesn’t outwardly express any strong emotions at all.
Much like a corpse, it just seems as if Salem is very.. Empty. Notably calm and matter-of-fact, his movements are slow and his tone of voice is often dull. At worst, he may come across as oh-so painfully apathetic.
Upon first impression, he’s just so…
Blah.
And yet, despite such an outward demeanor, there’s no doubt that he’s very passionate about what he does. His knowledge about the world’s religions is incredibly vast. If you have any questions about his theology studies for him, then Salem is more than willing to answer! Salem is filled with a seemingly endless amount of knowledge, and it would just be too cruel for him not to share it.

Someone with such a strong passion can’t truly be apathetic and empty, right? Indeed, in rare instances, you may be able to see a glimmer of emotion in the theologian’s face… Witnesses have reported that he has a noticeable soft spot for awfully mundane things such as birds and-... Jokes?? When bringing up the topic of his supposed mental disorder, you may even witness anger, as he’s quick to shut it down.

Clearly, there’s a lot more to the “dead” theologian than meets the eye.
It’s up to you to crack his passive exterior and find out what’s truly underneath.