Lindsey Gilroy-"Silence" in Nature

The last post in the series of journal entries is a reflective piece on when I feel a serious connection with the world around me. On the Noland Trail I feel very at peace and alone, surrounded by the animals and plants that have existed and stood still through the changes that have occurred through the city around. When there is no longer the hustle and bustle of the industrial world, no cars or machines to block out the harmonious background noise that has remained constant for all of time-then, you can truly enjoy the noises which God put on this earth. Everything seems so much louder and is given a voice, from the leaves on the trees to the water under the bridges. The animals running by cause fear and surprise because they interrupt the rhythmic and harmonious tunes that have been created through nature. It is a calming feeling, but a feeling that we have been separated from experiencing regularly-which is unfortunate.

Lindsey Gilroy-Masks

"The god is a mask; the mask, a god. Through the mask one is transformed into a person in the sense of an actual, essential happening".

-Van der Leeuw 84

The mask is represented more in primitive cultures, seen to used to express either emotions, power, animals, or another form of a being greater than oneself. Van der Leeuw explains in his text that the mask allows for a connection to occur, or at least become attainable, with a higher and holier Divine. Some cultures use it to represent "a world ourself the usual world", or as a prop for narration. The mask gives the human form another being to take control over, you lose your real once hidden behind the mask. a more westernized approach to the mask is seen in acting, where make-up shields one's image and creates a new look. Hiding behind layers can help one express their innermost desires that may have been shielded through the vulnerability of their real skin.

Lindsey Gilroy-Art as myth

In one of our class discussions we discussed art as myth, and how prior to myth we didn't have a world. The way in which we have been taught to understand the nature around us are influenced through past perceptions passed on to us. Myth is a re-living, a representation of another form in order to keep it complacent within the present day. The beauty of art through myth is that the re-living through painting allows for the viewer to experience it time after time. This constant circulation of images has been helpful in regards to religion because it supported the words of religion as it has been passed through generations and recorded. Our society really couldn't exist without art, we are incredibly dependent on artifacts to remind us of not only religion but of memories!

Lindsey Gilroy-Reality Behind the World

During a class discussion in early September I remember a discussion on the way that people perceive images. The example that we used in class was of a person seeing a candle, and understanding it to be a candle because of the way that they identify a candle to be. While this sound complex and a bit confusing, it all makes sense. Perception, as defined in class, is the space and time conception of how you conceptualize an image. While you may seen something and interpret it in one way, it is just your senses being stimulated to perceive it in that way. It gives way to understanding why people interpret and perceive the same thing, differently.

Lindsey Gilroy-Tattoos

Earlier in the semester, Kelsey did a great presentation on tattoos and their relation to religion, as cited through Van der Leeuw. On pg. 157 of our text Van der Leeuw explains how one of the oldest forms of pictoral art is tatooing, relating it to the practice of ornamentation. The way that a person tattoo's their body typically parallels with some sort of internal connection with the outside representation depicted on their skin. To outsiders, the significance may not be apparent but to the tattooed individual it may act as a reminder of the image or text expressed permanently on their skin. While tattooing in America differs very much so from more primitive areas of the world, with each color having its own purpose or explanation of the practice.

Lindsey Gilroy-Catacombs of Paris

The Catacombs of Paris remain to be one of the most famous (and haunted) burial locations in the world. The catacomb is in part of Paris' old stone mine, with thousands and thousands of bones laid to rest, divided by each part of the human skeleton. Originally burials had to take place outside of Paris but as Christianity became more practiced the tradition of burying the dead near the place of worship took over, eventually becoming too overcrowding; thus leading to burial within these underground mazes. The bones are stacked and compiled in a way representative of art, so forming heart shapes and others patterned in a repetitive manner-the dead human bones seem more artsy than morbid. I visited the Catacombs a year ago and the haunting images remain with me. Seeing God's creation behind all the skin and material items is surreal, seeing the way in which each human is composed is mystifying.

Lindsey Gilroy-Class wrap-up

As a Communications Studies major and Sociology minor, Religous Studies did not exactly fit into the academic mold that had been constructed for my college path. I have been very interested in taking a RSTD class, and signed up for this one as an elective. From the beginning the class structure was clearly very different than I had experienced before, much more relaxed and flexible, which was a necessary break from the rigid schedule that I experienced in my other classes. I enjoyed have a book to read, rather than a textbook, because almost all of the class' focus was on it. The teaching style encouraged participation, although it seemed easier to listen to what my peer's had to say since I had never experienced answering questions like the ones posed in class. The drum circle was a great and effective way to integrate the students with the course material, and I am sure I am not the only person who thought it was a memorable class.

Through this class I think what will resonate with me most is the fact that art, and religion, are all around. From the traditional religious practices I engage in to the nature surrounding me, religion and art are unified and undeniable. Thanks for a great semester:)