Steven Chung The Paradox of Being Present to Place

On page 29 of Lane's "Landscapes of the Sacred," he begins to speak about the the Third axiom, a phenomenological category that describes how places are perceived in the the process of mythogensis. In the book, it states that "simply moving into an allegedly sacred place does not necessarily make one present to it" (29). And it goes on saying that "one can be there yet not be there at the same time." I believe what he is saying is true. Yes, a person can physically be at a place, but he or she can mentally, or spiritually be absent. It depends on the person's mindset, perspective, and view of that particular place. On page 30, Lane goes on saying, "perhaps the process of 'making strange' that to which one has become habitually accustomed--viewing it in a different perspective so as to enter it anew--can be seen as the most important manner by which meaning is continually renewed in any community." So what is an important factor in determining the "sacredness" of a place is how a person looks upon it; a waterfall can just be a cliff with water pouring from it, or it can be a special piece of scenery that has a significance for the person at its location.

Lane's Four Principles for a Sacred Place

In the first couple of chapters, Lane talks about the four axioms to what a sacred place is; the first being that people do not choose their sacred place, but it chooses them. This makes sense to me, considering the places I find sacred and transcendental are places I would have never chosen for myself, showing that the most meaningful places are locations that people don’t get to select for themselves.

The second principle was that a place does not have to be aesthetic or significant in any way, even “ordinary” places can be sacred.

The third guideline is that not everybody will share the same sacred place. It says “a sacred place can be tred upon without being entered,” which states that a person can walk into a sacred area unknowingly because the place is not sacred to them.

The last axiom in less words says that sacred places are locations where people who find it sacred can live nearby or be a visitor. It says based on location, a person will find a space sacred.

-Emily Schulz-

Does a Sacred Place Have to be Religious?

In class last week, we spend the classes introducing examples of a sacred place. Dr. Redick showed us slideshows of trips he had taken with former students. In one specific trip to a sacred place, he visited many “dead” sanctuaries, including Delphi and Santiago. While on that trip, there were many yellow arrows spray-painted along the route to direct hikers on the trail. One significant spot on this hike is on top of a hill, which erects a statue of the Virgin Mary. In Mary’s arms, she is holding Baby Jesus and other trinkets which passing hikers have given her over the years. Alongside the pictures at Santiago, Dr. Redick gave us a brief history of the St. James Cathedral and the history of St. James himself.

Although that trip is sacred for its religious associations, a burning question I had was “can a place be sacred without being religious?” Through class discussion, I saw that a place can be sacred without a religious background, however it can become religious to someone because of the neumanosity it can create.

A place becomes sacred when it brings security and peace to a person. However it can also be a place with such a powerful draw that a person gains the sense of being reborn. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys had agoraphobia, keeping him locked away in his bedroom for years on end. His bedroom then became his sanctuary and sacred place where he felt peace and solitude. On the other hand, Dr. Redick has visited many places where he felt “alive,” one being a waterfall and pool hidden within a series of Hawaiian caves. When he was in the pool, he said he felt a sense of being reborn, even saying the waterfall was “the world’s vagina.”

This cave, for Redick, is transcendent and has its own religious associations. Symbolically, the water flow from the cliffs and onto him signified rebirth, much like the vagina and water breaking to give life. Although this location does not have any real religious affiliation, its neumanosity is strong enough to bring Redick a sense of being connected; the waterfall being an axis mundi, or a conncetion between two worlds.

-Emily Schulz-

Emily Jackson Dunlop- Beautiful Places I'd Like to Visit

1/17/2012

As an Art History major having seen many beautiful paintings, photographs, frescoes, and drawings of beautiful landscapes, I have always wanted to see these captivating locations first hand. A place that I want to visit in particular would be the ancient Greek ruins in Delphi, Greece. Located on a magnificent mountain away from the cities, it is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. I agree with the analogy between the mountain representing death and the spring running through it representing life. This is an ideal location of what could be called sacred ground to the people of ancient Greece. Delphi is a blend of both manmade and natural beauty.

Another place I want to see would be Santiago de Compostela. This is a famous pilgrimage cathedral located in Spain. St. James, one of the twelve apostles, is the patron saint of Spain making this pilgrimage very popular. Making a pilgrimage was and still is made by people today. Pilgrimages are long, exhausting journeys to a sacred place where a saint was buried, a church which houses an important relic of a saint, or to a famous religious locale. I would love to experience a great journey like this, but I highly doubt I would have the stamina. However, it would be a magnificent accomplishment.

Unfortunately, people today often only find beauty in cityscapes and manmade marvels, all too frequently forgetting to look for the beauty of the natural world. Some have been far from nature for so long they do not even realize how close it could really be if only they would look for it. If it is not cloudy, the stars are always there for us to enjoy. Hopefully we all have a patch of nature of our own in our yards or a park nearby to enjoy. It is important to not forget about the beauty of nature by being to caught up in the hustle and bustle of our technologically consumed lives. Relaxing in a special place is rejuvenating to the mind, body, and spirit. We should all find time to visit the beautiful places around us as often as we can. The places we visit do not have to be far away. We make places significant to our own feelings, memories, and experiences within those places. So a sacred place may be just around the corner.

Redick Introduction

Enter your blogs with the title as indicated in this intro blog.

Reading and Reflection Blog:
Each student will engage in the practice of journaling on the world-wide-web–this is called blogging. Your class reading and reflection blog will be compiled and posted at the appropriate blog site: the title of the blog is Wilderness as Sacred Landscape 2012 and the address is http://cnuullc2232012.blogspot.com/. Make sure to start the blog with your name and the subject of the entry. Blog entries will be considered informal writing assignments and as such will be graded more in relation to content than style. Blog entries will contain questions and answers to questions, as well as reflections that relate to daily classroom discussions, completion of exercises, and reading assignments. Any questions the student has while reading or completing assignments should be written in their blog. Reflections may relate to connections the student makes between discussions in this class and those in other classes, between arguments raised in the readings in this class and those raised in other classes or from informal conversations. Students are encouraged to apply the ideas learned in this class to activities that take place outside of the class. These applications make great reflections. The student should bring questions from the blog to class and ask those questions that were raised in specific blog entries. As those questions are addressed and answered in the classroom discussions, the student should make note of the discussion and answers within subsequent blog entries. This class blog will reflect the quality of the student’s daily classroom participation and completion of homework assignments, and will be graded with this in mind. The student may submit the blog for grading at several times during the course of the semester. The blog is not the same thing as a compilation of class lecture notes; it is the product of written personal reflection related to the class. A good journal will contain at least 15 entries. At least 6 of the entries should be reflections on the connection between assigned essay reading and the required texts: 3 from Landscapes of the Sacred and 3 from Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture. At least 3 of the entries should focus on an outside reading, something not assigned as part of the class requirements. At least 2 of the entries will be the result of the student’s experience of a natural setting, a visit during the semester. Finally, 4 of the entries will be centered on a topic of the student’s choosing. Each journal entry should be dated and given a title related to the subject of reflection.