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:)

Lindsey Gilroy-God and the Devil in Cartoons

During one of my posts of choice I wanted to touch on how religious images are illustrated through modern cartoons. The images of God and Devil have become universal understandings of how the individuals look: God is typically an older, white male who is well-fed and unshaven, the devil is a red, youthful and thin figure with horns. How were these images created and how did they become know to be the understanding of God and Satan? I suppose there has been plenty of criticism for how art represents what has not been seen, such as our depictions of Jesus and other holy beings. The image of God, however, has undergone much scrutiny for the race and sex of the being, but has remained to be a replicated image. The devil can be justified as red to relate to the fire burning in Hell, and his slender figure is similar to that of a serpent, relating to a more Biblical text. I find it interesting that the way that even cartoons, which are commonly associated with children's viewing, have even conformed to producing specific images of religious figures.

Lindsey Gilroy-Fashion and Wedding Dresses

(traditional Indian wedding dress)

Although it was not mentioned in our text, I consider fashion to be an art that can be tied into religion. The clothes that an individual chooses to wear is an expression of their personality, perhaps a way to communicate non-verbally of their style and choices. Within the church the attire is very conservative, although the nature of the dress varies between religions. The wedding dress, for example, is a dress which changes between cultures. For example, in America the traditional wedding dress is perceived as a long, white gown with a matching veil. The white in the dress signifies the purity of the woman wearing the dress, which is why the altering shades of white (ivory, off-white, etc.) may be worn either due to preference or because the woman does not feel as though she is pure enough to wear white. In other cultures, as well as in earlier centuries, the wedding dress is seen in a variety of colors, each color representative of a specific meaning. In traditional weddings there may be certain restrictions and rules on how the bride must dress within the religious space in order to remain respectable and honorable to the church and the religion.

Lindsey Gilroy-C.S. Lewis

It seems as though many students discussed C.S. Lewis in their posts, which I will continue doing because of the amount of time that was spent mentioning him and his works. I have chosen the following quote from C.S. Lewis:

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell."

Through my own analysis of this line I think it means that the presence of God is inescapable. No matter how hard you try to deny Him, there really is no possible way. Yes, individuals can reject church or temple or whatever their place of worship may be, but they cannot reject the world in which they live daily life. The world, sans the material items, are all part of God's creation. Even the material items which are man-made are constructed through a being which was created by God. It is inevitable to be faced with God's presence, even if it's just talking with others or sitting outside alone-through isolation there is even a heavy existence.

Lindsey Gilroy-Hallelujah

Within the text, Van der Leeuw describes music as a servant to dance or theater, and through the Roman Catholic Church it shoud serve some sort of function rather of worship rather than just entertainment. He discusses the need to keep helm of liturgical unity by placing the choir near the center of worship. The words that are song in places of worship are often rhythmic extensions of prayer or poetry, done in a repetitive manner. An example of this repetition can be seen in the song “Hallelujah”. The word itself means to express thanks or gratitude to God. "The repetition of a particular exclamation gives force to an incantation" (Van der Leeuw 221). As Van derLeeuw mentions on pg. 220, the music that we have today derives from the music of church and worship; therefore, I have included a modern music video and lyrical depiction of the text.

I heard there was a secret chord

That David played and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelu----jah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof, you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne, she cut your hair, and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelu----jah

Maybe I have been here before, I know this room; I have walked this floor, I used to live alone before I knew you

I've seen your flag on the marble arch, love is not a victory march, it's a cold and its a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelu----jah

There was a time you let me know whats really going on below, but now you never show it to me, do you? (and)

Remember when I moved in you; the holy dark was moving too, and every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelu----jah

Maybe there's a God above, and all I ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

And its not a cry you can hear at night, its not somebody who's seen the light, its a cold and its a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelu--jah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelu---u---jah

(See video here)

Lindsey Gilroy-Drum Circle and Dance

(In reference to dance) "It is an expression of all the emotions of the spirit, from the lowest to the highest."

-Van der Leeuw 12

During the class where we had a drum circle I saw Van der Leeuw's words come in to play. The initial instructions were simple, we were told to not speak, stand and stay in a circle, and make noise, with minimal instruction as to how this noise should be created. When Van der Leeuw writes, "[man] can produce for himself the rhythm which induces the body to dance it is marked out by the stamping of feet and clapping of hands" (Van der Leeuw 12-13) I was instantly reminded of the structured in which the drum circle was performed. Using ourselves as instruments, beginning with the simple harmonious "heartbeats" signifying the basis for our very creation, we eventually proceeded to expressing ourselves freely through sound and allowed for our hands to create beats on the "instruments" that we had chosen.

It was an interesting class and although I was hesitant at first, I like the idea of becoming one with nature in order to reconnect with the world around you.

Lindsey Gilroy-The Prohibition of Images

After spending much of the semester focusing on Van der Leeuw's text, as I went back through the sections I realized I had neglected to cover the section on the prohibition of images. Upon its commencement, the section of the text explains that people have grown to be victims of the "modern" mind, the mind which has grown with technology and the practicing that have adopted their techniques to adhere to the art changes. I could see how initially there was a problem with attempting to reproduce the holy, which is how the art was deemed harmful and thus prohibited. However, can you imagine a world where the art was prohibited Art has developed into a form that allows for not only people to express themselves but for the viewer to find a commonality between their thoughts and the artists depictions; it creates a sense of understanding between human thought.

“The image of God has here become a voice; pictorial art dissolves into words and then into music. And music is preserved longer in worship than is graphic art.”
-(Van der Leeuw 179)

As Van der Leeuw writes the above text I would have to agree that the spoken word may leave its impression on the public longer than the pictorial because it is passed through individuals through speech, instead of passing the tangible art from person to person. What I took from this section of the reading is that there is neither a worthy art form or artist who can decipher the power of God’s grace, therefore, there should be no attempt because it will constantly fall short.

Amanda DeSalme-Chocolat

Joanne Harris' book "Chocolat" is a charming read. It is about a mother and daughter (Vianne Rocher and Anouk) who move around a lot, opening up chocolate shops and changing cities wherever they go. This story takes place in a tiny French village called Lansquenet. They are not the typical family you would find in Lansquenet. They don't go to church and they don't dress as conservatively as anyone else and there is no man in their family structure. They make delicious chocolate. In this novel, the priest of the village, Reynaud, decides that they are evil, tempting the villagers to overindulge during lent. A lot goes on in the story, but eventually, Reynaud gives in and indulges in the sweet chocolates of their shop as well. And the people realize that eating chocolate is not a sin. Pleasure is not a sin. They realize that they need to be inclusive in their religious practices, not exclusive. It is quite a touching novel (which was made into a movie) and has a great spiritual message. There is also a sequel to the novel, first published under the title "the Girl with No Shadow," and later under the title "Lollipop Shoes." This goes into some pagan forms of spiritual practice, and is quite an interesting story as Anouk starts to grow up and experiment with her "witch" powers. Sometimes a good story is a great way to get a holy message out there.

P.S. I originally posted this in the wrong place...so I thought I'd put it in the correct blog

Blog Post #7 - Scott Crissman - Nightmare Brunette

Now that I am thinking about the connection between the sacred and profane I am reminded of a blog I discovered several weeks ago, entitled Nightmare Brunette (www.nightmarebrunette.tumblr.com), that is done by a female sex worker. She posts images, her own writing, and excerpts and quotes from others, and manages to do so in an astonishingly elegant and beautiful way. The content is frequently explicitly sexual (and occasionally pornographic or erotic) in nature, but the images always have an inherent beauty and the the writing is full of wonderful language and an insight/intelligence that many likely do not expect to see from a sex worker.
As we discussed in class, human sexuality was in ancient cultures (and still is in less developed cultures) much more closely linked to religion. Although the modern religions of most Americans does not involve sexuality, an approach like this blog takes to such normally taboo subjects allows us to recover a respect and reverence for it and its more spiritual aspects.

Tommy Faulconer: The Library and the Cosmos

One of the last conversations we had in class involved the imagery of the Cosmos in much of the circular architecture, and being in the library non-stop for a week helped me tie it into the marble area of the library on campus. The area is completely circular with a central circle within the space which could translate into the sun with surrounding lines and patterns circling the central circle. The Cosmos is the initial creation of the holy and its representation in the area central to most of campus and its education seems to bring about the concept of centering oneself in the divine. Its placement may not be the most ideal because most students rush by on their way to do homework, but if you stop for a second and recognize the cosmos at your feet, you can center yourself in that minute and briefly touch the divine.

Tommy Faulconer: Memoirs of a Geisha Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aX2uEETs2Q

The dance linked above comes from the motion picture Memoirs of a Geisha and is the perfect example of world creation through pantomime dance. The dancer takes on the character of a woman walking to find her love through the snow when she is lost and ends up dying in the snow alone. The production adds to the image of the story that is being portrayed, but it is the movement and the passion of the dancer that pulls me in. Through watching such a passionate performances, I can feel the pain of the character and feel the chill setting in along with the panic as the wind blows the umbrella around. My breathing slows and quickens with the rhythm and the movement as I am swept into the dance death where the holy rite of death takes precedence. Death is the last sacred act any person will experience in their life, and the portrayal of it through a passionate dances is one way to confront the audience with the fact of mortality. In this realization, the audience runs into the divine that gives and takes life. It may be the coldest of divine encounters but death and its experience is still one of the most sacred communions of body, spirit, and holy. The dance of the geisha brings the audience into that sacred rite of passage and moves them to look at the dance of their own lives and how they dance around the act of death.

Blog Post #6 - Scott Crissman - Eric Whitacre

I often discuss music and its ability to express the holy, but I have spoken very little about the conflict between the sacred and profane in music. A contemporary composer whom I believe embraces and encapsulates this tension is the American Eric Whitacre. He is a young composer very well known for much of his work for chorus and wind ensemble. His music has the ability almost unequivocally profoundly affect me and make me think whether I'm hearing a work for the first time or the fiftieth. It carries all the qualities of the holy and the sublime, yet only one choral piece to my knowledge is set to a specifically religious text, and many are explicitly secular. "When David Heard," using only a few lines of text from the Bible, aurally encompasses the massively overhanging grief King David feels at the news of his son Absalom's death, repeating and intensifying these few words across the space of around twelve minutes.
The piece I'd like to focus on, however, as a juxtaposition and mingling of the sacred and profane, is "A Boy and a Girl," with text by Octavio Paz and translated by Muriel Rukeyser:


Stretched out on the grass,

a boy and a girl.
Savoring their oranges,
giving their kisses like waves exchanging foam.

Stretched out on the beach,

a boy and a girl.
Savoring their limes,
giving their kisses like clouds exchanging foam.

Stretched out underground,
a boy and a girl.
Saying nothing, never kissing,
giving silence for silence.




The text's meaning is debatable, with some claiming that it is explicitly sexual and others (myself included here) that it is more innocent and focused on the relationship between the boy and the girl, but either way it is not a specifically religious text. It is my opinion, however, that the profane (a human relationship) is made sacred through the treatment of the situation by Paz and through the extremely tender and at times unexpected musical setting by Whitacre. The extreme emotion imparted by Whitacre's harmonic structures and rhythmic impulses and the otherworldliness on phrases like "stretched out on the beach" and "saying nothing, never kissing" grants this secular "story" a decidedly "holy" transformation.

Tommy Faulconer: Awe in the Fire Dances.

One of the most frightening and exciting spectacles of dance are the fire dances. In these dances, men and women twirl batons around fiercely while the batons are on fire. Watching these dancers fearlessly move with the fire inspires awe amongst the audience members. We have discussed the purpose of awe in religious art throughout the class, and I feel it is quite useful to the effect of the fire dances. The audience feels fear but cannot look away because they are entranced by the swirling flames as they circle around the dancers. It is this odd revulsion mixed with reverence that leaves such a huge mark on the audience. The dancers are literally playing with fire without the fear of being burned. While entranced, the audience reflects upon the boldness and fearlessness required for the task and possibly vow to make a change. It is in this reflective state that the audience is experiencing a taste of the divine. The fire is such a powerful and sacred force that it inspires the audience to reflect upon the awesome power of the divine and the power of creation and destruction inherent of the flame. Flame is one of the most powerful and provocative images in nature because it has a duality inherent in the divine. They can both create and destroy in a single blow which strikes fear and respect into most of mankind. Awe is a powerful thing and can inspire a great deal of communication with the holy through its power.

Blog Post #5 - Scott Crissman - John Adams / Doctor Atomic / John Donne

As most people in this class are probably aware at this point, I'm a big fan of utilizing audio and/or visual examples in my work. American contemporary composer John Adams in his 2005 opera Doctor Atomic, which tells the story of the creation of the atomic bomb and its father, J. Robert Oppenheimer, shows an incredible sensitivity to the "word" (as van der Leeuw refers to it) and the application of the holy in a seemingly profane event in world history. I can think of few examples of the sublime in an overarching historical event than the creation and use of the atomic bomb. Its was borne of a desire to end the War and save lives, and the inner workings of the bomb itself and the organizations created for this purpose are a thing of beauty. The actual employment of the bomb is also one of the most terrifying and captivating events - such destruction and power contained in so small a thing. Throughout the opera, Adams and Peter Sellars (the librettist) utilize poetic texts that Oppenheimer is known to have revered, including excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita and poetry by Muriel Rukeyser, Charles Baudelaire, and John Donne, among others.
The closing of Act I is the aria "Batter My Heart," sung by Oppenheimer alone in the presence of the half-completed bomb, expressing his obsession with and fear of his brainchild. The text is one of John Donne's holy sonnets:

BATTER my heart, three person'd God; for, you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow mee,'and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due,
Labour to'admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,
But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearely'I love you,'and would be loved faine,
But am betroth'd unto your enemie:
Divorce mee,'untie, or breake that knot againe;
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you'enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chast, except you ravish me,

The staging as well as the ingenius marriage of story, borrowed text, and music make this an incredibly captivating and heartfelt moment in all of opera, expressing the sublime as it affected Oppenheimer's professional and private lives during this turbulent time in history.