Adagio: plural of adage. Adage: memorable saying which holds some important fact of experience that is considered true by many.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Adagio
Sunday Morning
When I hear secular religion, I think of contradiction: how can anything secular be considered a religion and how can this definition be so open? Professor Smith cleared my confusion of the definition of secular religion in class on Wednesday. Secular religion does not mean that anything can be considered a religion, such as smoking weed. What differentiations secular religion from an obsession or habit and enables it to be compared with religion is that it offers an individual a concept of reality and motivation in life, without being selfish or harmful to the individual in nature. Wallace Stevens’ poem, Sunday Morning, can be considered secular religion because it exemplifies Stevens’ concept of reality, which is different than a traditional religious view of reality. Most traditional religion believers live their lives on Sunday morning with attending church to save their souls, but Stevens views soul-saving as having enjoyment, peace, and happiness for the body and mind such as staying at home on a Sunday morning while drinking coffee and eating oranges. So Stevens’ concept of reality is based off of living in the here-and-now only for the benefit gained from that moment’s experience whereas traditional believers live their lives for the benefit that they will gain in the afterlife. Yet Stevens does show a belief in a higher power because he mentions religious concepts in his poem, such as the “holy hush of ancient sacrifice” and “things to be cherished like the thought of heaven.” I feel that Stevens has this view because he does believe in a higher but a traditional religious belief did not seem to work for him, so he sought out another belief in life that was in tune with his mentality and concept of reality, which is what makes his poetry to be defined as secular religion.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Response to Annemarie's Blog
From Wednesday's class, I realized how difficult it can be to discuss secular religion...or religion in general I guess, in reference to art because art by itself is so interpretive. Discussion is especially hard when the item up for grabs is a work by Jackson Pollock. A few people seemed to think that Pollock's work has nothing to do with religion, secular or nonsecular but I beg to differ.
I really like what Annemarie had to say about symbols. One hard thing about discussing Pollock's work in a religious context was that people were trying to find a disintguishable picture in the chaos, which works at times but I think there's a different way to go about it and that's through symbols. Annemarie stated that art is the greatest symbol of all because it invokes a visual stimulation followed by a visual response in the individual. I completely aggree with this notion. While looking at Pollock's work it is not the title that matters or what one can decipher from mass of drips...but it is what the painting as a whole provides for viewers emotionally. For example, a viewer might not be able to distinguish one of Pollock's drip paintings but may be drawn to it becuase it may provide him/her relief from what is going on in the world at that moment. For example, when I look at Pollock's "No. IA" I get lost in it and feel as though I'm inside my brain instead of in reality. This provides a relief for me from the stress of life on earth and I get a sense of transcending reality...which is what religion provides for people.
So, to sum up I think an important thing to consider when looking at Pollock's paintings is to not expect something definit but to just focus on what it does for an individual's emotions and mental state.
I really like what Annemarie had to say about symbols. One hard thing about discussing Pollock's work in a religious context was that people were trying to find a disintguishable picture in the chaos, which works at times but I think there's a different way to go about it and that's through symbols. Annemarie stated that art is the greatest symbol of all because it invokes a visual stimulation followed by a visual response in the individual. I completely aggree with this notion. While looking at Pollock's work it is not the title that matters or what one can decipher from mass of drips...but it is what the painting as a whole provides for viewers emotionally. For example, a viewer might not be able to distinguish one of Pollock's drip paintings but may be drawn to it becuase it may provide him/her relief from what is going on in the world at that moment. For example, when I look at Pollock's "No. IA" I get lost in it and feel as though I'm inside my brain instead of in reality. This provides a relief for me from the stress of life on earth and I get a sense of transcending reality...which is what religion provides for people.
So, to sum up I think an important thing to consider when looking at Pollock's paintings is to not expect something definit but to just focus on what it does for an individual's emotions and mental state.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Secular religion within "Red"
I found the relationship between the old judge and Valentine an interesting one. I also found something religious in it. In the beginning of the film Valentine is seen as a romantic, constantly waiting for her boyfriend's phone call and tells him how much she misses him. Even though viewers only hear the boyfriend's voice, we get a sense that he is controlling, paranoid, and withdrawn from her in that he does not love Valentine as she much as she loves him and that he may be cheating on her. But she is oblivious to all of this because she is stuck in her idealized view of the world.
When she meets the judge she is surpised at his blunt personality and automatically judges him as a numb old man who is dead to the world without a care for humanity. In reality, he does have a care for humanity, etc. but the thing that differs he from Valentine is his acuteness to reality. When he spies on people, he is actually allowing himself to face the tragedies and hardships of life rather than attempting to cover them up in a soft, cotton blanket which Valentine does...she shields herself from the real unfairness and tragedies of life. When she returns Rita, the old judge asks what her motives were for doing such a thing: did she return it because she actually wanted to (seeing reality) or because she was afraid of the guilt (a shield from reality). This, I think is secular religion: living a raw life, without a barrier from anything. Lots of times religion provides people with a metaphysical, transcendent feeling but secular religion allows people to be humanitarians, to find identities while living life on earth and seeing it for what it is.
This relates to what Golding said in his article on Jackson Pollock in "Paths to the Absolute," Abstract Impressionists saw themselves as "belonging to the here and in a more self-concious way" (116).
When she meets the judge she is surpised at his blunt personality and automatically judges him as a numb old man who is dead to the world without a care for humanity. In reality, he does have a care for humanity, etc. but the thing that differs he from Valentine is his acuteness to reality. When he spies on people, he is actually allowing himself to face the tragedies and hardships of life rather than attempting to cover them up in a soft, cotton blanket which Valentine does...she shields herself from the real unfairness and tragedies of life. When she returns Rita, the old judge asks what her motives were for doing such a thing: did she return it because she actually wanted to (seeing reality) or because she was afraid of the guilt (a shield from reality). This, I think is secular religion: living a raw life, without a barrier from anything. Lots of times religion provides people with a metaphysical, transcendent feeling but secular religion allows people to be humanitarians, to find identities while living life on earth and seeing it for what it is.
This relates to what Golding said in his article on Jackson Pollock in "Paths to the Absolute," Abstract Impressionists saw themselves as "belonging to the here and in a more self-concious way" (116).
I felt that Jackson Pollock is a mix of both Jane Addams' religious style and his own unique belief system. Pollock is similar to Jane Addams in his intent to, through his belief system, reach the community and bridge the gap between rich and poor/people of different ethnic backgrounds. This is seen in his interest in anthropology and, as author Golding describes, his "attempt to resolve the clash and collision between Mexican and indigenous native American art with the mainstream of European modernsim" (118).
I see Pollock as definitely secular although he uses secular religion as an attempt to fulfill the holes in his life, which nonsecular religion (as a definition) provides such as an identity and comfort during tragedy.
Golding states that Pollock was not an intellectual but that his "reactions were visceral [feelings rather than reason] and he did his learning visually" (128). So, any sort of belief of Pollock's had to be something that he would relate to, which was visual/abstract are and Jungian symobls all of which can be interpreted according to one's own thoughts and feelings rather than reason. For example, when one looks at abstract are one says what comes first to mind, which may be what is in one's subconcious. Abstract art does not have to mean one thing, the title only suggests what the work meant to the artist.
From art, Pollock wished to find some sort of identity (such as skater's find with skateboarding). Golding describes this as a "dichotomy between the search for self and the longing to identify with an absolute- the greater than the self"' (116). This is where I see secular religion differing from nonsecular religion because in a nonsecular religion practitioners usually search for a personal identity but not an identity with a higher power because that crosses invisible status lines. For Pollock, his search for a personal identity failed. This is where I think secular religion fails in that people attempt to identify themselves with a higher being which they cannot achieve because they are only human, not gods.
I see Pollock as definitely secular although he uses secular religion as an attempt to fulfill the holes in his life, which nonsecular religion (as a definition) provides such as an identity and comfort during tragedy.
Golding states that Pollock was not an intellectual but that his "reactions were visceral [feelings rather than reason] and he did his learning visually" (128). So, any sort of belief of Pollock's had to be something that he would relate to, which was visual/abstract are and Jungian symobls all of which can be interpreted according to one's own thoughts and feelings rather than reason. For example, when one looks at abstract are one says what comes first to mind, which may be what is in one's subconcious. Abstract art does not have to mean one thing, the title only suggests what the work meant to the artist.
From art, Pollock wished to find some sort of identity (such as skater's find with skateboarding). Golding describes this as a "dichotomy between the search for self and the longing to identify with an absolute- the greater than the self"' (116). This is where I see secular religion differing from nonsecular religion because in a nonsecular religion practitioners usually search for a personal identity but not an identity with a higher power because that crosses invisible status lines. For Pollock, his search for a personal identity failed. This is where I think secular religion fails in that people attempt to identify themselves with a higher being which they cannot achieve because they are only human, not gods.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Beyond Institutional Religion
From reading chapters 4-6 of Hull House, I gained a better sense of who Addams is and what her concerns and goals in life are. These chapters are written after Addams is finished with her first years of college. Already she seems like the type of person who is more “hands-on” rather than strictly academic. She chastises the student who has more and more schooling and only plans to save the world rather than going out into the world, seeing the reality of it and actually doing humanitarian work.
I noticed that, at this point in Addams’s life, humanitarianism is firmly established as her religion, yet it is based in Christianity. I wonder then…it is my belief that religion does not have to be considered truly as institutional, that it goes beyond going to a place of worship, fellowshipping, and reading from a holy book…but does religion have to have some sort of base/root in an institutional religion? For example, social service acts as a religion to Addams because it gives her an identity and a motivation in life, but she reminds readers of her Christian humanitarian goals through Hull House, for example she writes sentences such as “I believe that there is a distinct turning among many young men and women toward this simple acceptance of Christ’s message,” “renaissance of the early Christian humanitarianism,” and “express in social service and in terms of action the spirit of Christ.” So I wonder if her goal was not rooted in Christianity, would social service still be considered a religion in her case and would her goals be the same? For an abstract thing to be considered a religion for someone, does it have to be rooted in a belief in a higher power?
I noticed that, at this point in Addams’s life, humanitarianism is firmly established as her religion, yet it is based in Christianity. I wonder then…it is my belief that religion does not have to be considered truly as institutional, that it goes beyond going to a place of worship, fellowshipping, and reading from a holy book…but does religion have to have some sort of base/root in an institutional religion? For example, social service acts as a religion to Addams because it gives her an identity and a motivation in life, but she reminds readers of her Christian humanitarian goals through Hull House, for example she writes sentences such as “I believe that there is a distinct turning among many young men and women toward this simple acceptance of Christ’s message,” “renaissance of the early Christian humanitarianism,” and “express in social service and in terms of action the spirit of Christ.” So I wonder if her goal was not rooted in Christianity, would social service still be considered a religion in her case and would her goals be the same? For an abstract thing to be considered a religion for someone, does it have to be rooted in a belief in a higher power?
The Calling to Social Service
Two things stood out to me while reading the first three chapters of Jane Addam’s “Hull House:” the story of how she was called into social service/her persona, and her relationship with her father.
Jane Addams describes herself as sensitive to the moral concerns of life. She noticed this about herself at an extremely young age. It seems that she as an extremely acute conscious and therefore very sensitive to disobedience and the evil side of life. Addams recalls her first encounter with poverty. She states that she had her “first sight of poverty [and] felt the curious distinction between the ruddy poverty of the country and that which even a small city presents in its shabbiest streets.” Addams was of course surprised at this because it was unlike anything she had ever seen before since her dad was a wealthy mill owner and ensured the stability and success of his family.
This reminds me of the early life of Siddhatta Gotama, before he became the Buddha and I realized that he and Addams shared similar callings in life. At his birth it was predicted that Gotama would either be the next ruler or a monk. Since his father wanted the former, he shielded Gotama from the harsh realities of life. One day Gotama was able to walk in the streets and was appalled at the poverty that he saw. Like Addams, he decided to do something about it…he did not try to save the world and eliminate poverty but he tried to work with it, which is what Addams did with Hull House. Hull House is a place to educate the poor and to provide shelter and company. So I guess I saw Addams as a 19th century Buddha of sorts.
I found the relationship that Addams had with her father an odd one. To me it seemed that, as a young girl, Addams treated her father like a religious figure, almost like her personal god because she was fearful of him and obeyed him in every way. Yet it seems that once she found her calling for social service she did not view her father is this strict sense anymore. Even though she always had her Christian faith it seemed that something was lacking, that an institutional religion could not solely fulfill her. When she was younger, she thought that her father would fill this void but she found out that social service was a better fulfillment. This just shows that religion is a multitude of things, not solely the idea of going to church and reading from a holy book.
Jane Addams describes herself as sensitive to the moral concerns of life. She noticed this about herself at an extremely young age. It seems that she as an extremely acute conscious and therefore very sensitive to disobedience and the evil side of life. Addams recalls her first encounter with poverty. She states that she had her “first sight of poverty [and] felt the curious distinction between the ruddy poverty of the country and that which even a small city presents in its shabbiest streets.” Addams was of course surprised at this because it was unlike anything she had ever seen before since her dad was a wealthy mill owner and ensured the stability and success of his family.
This reminds me of the early life of Siddhatta Gotama, before he became the Buddha and I realized that he and Addams shared similar callings in life. At his birth it was predicted that Gotama would either be the next ruler or a monk. Since his father wanted the former, he shielded Gotama from the harsh realities of life. One day Gotama was able to walk in the streets and was appalled at the poverty that he saw. Like Addams, he decided to do something about it…he did not try to save the world and eliminate poverty but he tried to work with it, which is what Addams did with Hull House. Hull House is a place to educate the poor and to provide shelter and company. So I guess I saw Addams as a 19th century Buddha of sorts.
I found the relationship that Addams had with her father an odd one. To me it seemed that, as a young girl, Addams treated her father like a religious figure, almost like her personal god because she was fearful of him and obeyed him in every way. Yet it seems that once she found her calling for social service she did not view her father is this strict sense anymore. Even though she always had her Christian faith it seemed that something was lacking, that an institutional religion could not solely fulfill her. When she was younger, she thought that her father would fill this void but she found out that social service was a better fulfillment. This just shows that religion is a multitude of things, not solely the idea of going to church and reading from a holy book.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Quakerism and Social Change
Within the article "The Meeting for Worship" I found a lot of connections to religion and social change. The article was about the Light Within. During this time Quakers sit in a circle silently to reflect on God's presence. They speak only if they have a revelation.
The goal of Quakerism is to experience fundamental truths during their quiet time. Once the truths have been contemplated they return to the outside world and apply the truths accordingly. This reminds me of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. In Allegory three men are fettered against a cave wall. One man is given the chance to escape the darkness of the cave and experience the light from the outside world. Once he has experienced all the truths, etc from the outside world he has to make a decision if he would like to stay in the light or if he should go back in the cave to tell the truths to his fellow cavedwellers.
This is the same task that Quaker's undertake. To them the outside world is considered to be the cave but during their quiet time they are allowed to seek the light and fundamental truths. Once they have received a revelation it is their choice whether they would like to apply these truths to the outside world. The truths represent religion and the outside world represents social change/our modern world. The Quakers call this process withdrawl and return.
There are two sides to this process. The negative side is that it takes one back to the sourcs of meaning and value. I see this as a person being stuck in the past. The positive side is that one can put meaning and value in the routine of life, which I took as applying religion to social change.
Basically, one can either be stuck in religion and take the Bible literally and thus being passive towards social change. Or one can go back and really understand the religion and take that meaning and return to modern society and apply the basic meaning of life that religion has in mind. For example, the article states that "without a deep awareness of the divine Spirit by which the world is united from within, social reformers can only prescribe external remedies" (68). This is similar to prescribing a depressed person medicine without ever counseling them. Quakers want to go to the root of the problem...find the remedy and then apply that to the overarching problem. The Quaker religion takes and active role in social change, they want to combine the two world...so the "two gradually merge until the lives of those who are most advanced the two become one" (63).
The goal of Quakerism is to experience fundamental truths during their quiet time. Once the truths have been contemplated they return to the outside world and apply the truths accordingly. This reminds me of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. In Allegory three men are fettered against a cave wall. One man is given the chance to escape the darkness of the cave and experience the light from the outside world. Once he has experienced all the truths, etc from the outside world he has to make a decision if he would like to stay in the light or if he should go back in the cave to tell the truths to his fellow cavedwellers.
This is the same task that Quaker's undertake. To them the outside world is considered to be the cave but during their quiet time they are allowed to seek the light and fundamental truths. Once they have received a revelation it is their choice whether they would like to apply these truths to the outside world. The truths represent religion and the outside world represents social change/our modern world. The Quakers call this process withdrawl and return.
There are two sides to this process. The negative side is that it takes one back to the sourcs of meaning and value. I see this as a person being stuck in the past. The positive side is that one can put meaning and value in the routine of life, which I took as applying religion to social change.
Basically, one can either be stuck in religion and take the Bible literally and thus being passive towards social change. Or one can go back and really understand the religion and take that meaning and return to modern society and apply the basic meaning of life that religion has in mind. For example, the article states that "without a deep awareness of the divine Spirit by which the world is united from within, social reformers can only prescribe external remedies" (68). This is similar to prescribing a depressed person medicine without ever counseling them. Quakers want to go to the root of the problem...find the remedy and then apply that to the overarching problem. The Quaker religion takes and active role in social change, they want to combine the two world...so the "two gradually merge until the lives of those who are most advanced the two become one" (63).
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
The Relationship between Religion and Social Change
I really do not think that the base of the relationship between religion and social change. Instead, I think it has more to do with how church responds to social change. I think that people or religious institutions can or cannot make religion coincide with social change. For example, the Catholic Church is still anti-contraceptives but our era almost requires it, especially the high rate of teenage pregnancy and AIDS (in reference to condoms only). Yet there are other churches that support the use of contraceptives. This is a good example: both religions use the Bible as a source for their information yet they take different points with social change.
In my opinion, religion is meant to respond to social change. The basic point of religion is to provide comfort, support, and advice for people. This will not work if people approach religion with a 19th century viewpoint. I think that each generation and each religious institution can approach the basic tenets of a religion but extract a whole new meaning that coincides with their lifestyle and the modern world around them. This is the same method that Margaret Fell used when establishing the Quaker religion. She looked as the basics of the Bible, only approached it with a different viewpoint. Instead of reading passages in a way that demeaned women, she interpreted them in a way that emphasized the importance of women.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Finding Rastafarian values in Bob Marley's album Exodus
Bob Marley's music is more than just a popular sound for people of all races, religions, and ages. His music conveys a Rastafarian attitude in four ways: (1) his lyrics connect Rastas directly with their faith since music is an integral part in Rastafaria, (2) his music pays tribute to important influences in religion, (3) his lyrics use Rasta terminology which makes it feel like the music is a Rasta's music, (4) the messages in the songs are directed towards Rastas; hen Rastas ilsten to it they are reminded of Rastafari's values.
Evidence pertaining to point #2:
In "So Much Things to Say" Marley sings that people (most probably Christians or anyone who is against the Rastafari faith) stole Marcus Garvey rights, turned their backs on Paul Boyle. Rastas consider Garvey to be a prophet. This serves to pay tribute to Garvey who is an importatn figure in the history of Rastafari. It also keeps him alive in a song so everytime a Rasta hears it, he will not forget his faith's past. This is much like the stories in the Qur'an of sinners not trusting the prophets but who turned their back to believe in another religion although Rastas would not call anyone of another faith as sinners.
Point #3:
In many of Bob Marley's songs Rasta terminology is used.
Downpressors- pressure is applied from a position of power to put down a victim. This word is used in the song "Guiltiness": woe to the downpressors, they'll eat the bread of sorrows.
It is also found in "Exodus": Jah come to break downpression, rule equality, wipe away transgression, set the captives [slaves] free.
In "Exodus" the phrase open your eyes and look within is used. This refers to the Rastafari approach to see life from the inside looking out. An individual must find truth within himself and then view reality from the eyes of this truth.
I and I- Iyaric," Divine within the individual. "Jamming" states that 'I and I will see you through.' This is the encouragement that Jah is with believers. This provides comfort and reassurance to Rastas.
~Rasta terminology is used in the lyrics to make the music feel like it is directed towards Rastas (much like hymns or Christian rock is for Christians), it is also meant to convey Rastafari messages to Rastas.
Point #4:
Many Rastafari messages are within each Bob Marley song:
"Exodus"-leave Babylon
"So Much Things to Say"-individuality
"Guiltiness"-no materialism
"Three Little Birds"-nature/pure/irie
"Punk Reggae Party"-no alcohol
"One Love"-obviously, one love
To bring the four points of Bob Marley's Exodus album together, his music in particular serves a similar purpose that the Bible/hymns do for Christians and that the Qur'an does for Muslims (since the Qur'an is more effective when it is recited rather than read). Marley's music is meant to be more than heard. Although it is true that the instruments and pure music mean as much as the lyrics (because an integral part in Rastafari is the music itself) Marley's lyrics are meant to evoke and sustain the Rastafari spirit in everyone...to either keep their Rastafari faith strong or to call them to the faith/practice.
Evidence pertaining to point #2:
In "So Much Things to Say" Marley sings that people (most probably Christians or anyone who is against the Rastafari faith) stole Marcus Garvey rights, turned their backs on Paul Boyle. Rastas consider Garvey to be a prophet. This serves to pay tribute to Garvey who is an importatn figure in the history of Rastafari. It also keeps him alive in a song so everytime a Rasta hears it, he will not forget his faith's past. This is much like the stories in the Qur'an of sinners not trusting the prophets but who turned their back to believe in another religion although Rastas would not call anyone of another faith as sinners.
Point #3:
In many of Bob Marley's songs Rasta terminology is used.
Downpressors- pressure is applied from a position of power to put down a victim. This word is used in the song "Guiltiness": woe to the downpressors, they'll eat the bread of sorrows.
It is also found in "Exodus": Jah come to break downpression, rule equality, wipe away transgression, set the captives [slaves] free.
In "Exodus" the phrase open your eyes and look within is used. This refers to the Rastafari approach to see life from the inside looking out. An individual must find truth within himself and then view reality from the eyes of this truth.
I and I- Iyaric," Divine within the individual. "Jamming" states that 'I and I will see you through.' This is the encouragement that Jah is with believers. This provides comfort and reassurance to Rastas.
~Rasta terminology is used in the lyrics to make the music feel like it is directed towards Rastas (much like hymns or Christian rock is for Christians), it is also meant to convey Rastafari messages to Rastas.
Point #4:
Many Rastafari messages are within each Bob Marley song:
"Exodus"-leave Babylon
"So Much Things to Say"-individuality
"Guiltiness"-no materialism
"Three Little Birds"-nature/pure/irie
"Punk Reggae Party"-no alcohol
"One Love"-obviously, one love
To bring the four points of Bob Marley's Exodus album together, his music in particular serves a similar purpose that the Bible/hymns do for Christians and that the Qur'an does for Muslims (since the Qur'an is more effective when it is recited rather than read). Marley's music is meant to be more than heard. Although it is true that the instruments and pure music mean as much as the lyrics (because an integral part in Rastafari is the music itself) Marley's lyrics are meant to evoke and sustain the Rastafari spirit in everyone...to either keep their Rastafari faith strong or to call them to the faith/practice.
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