Sunday, February 26, 2012
Stephanie Colb - Paris, Texas
Throughout the film, Paris, Texas, the display of improvements in communication as well as the filmography used were both important aspects in portraying messages in the film along with the character’s journeys and individuals. At the start of the film, the main character, Travis, is shown wearing a suit and a red hat while in a desert seemingly disoriented from civilization and any means of communication. The picture shown in this scene remained distorted with little exposure, similar to the way we believe Travis was feeling during this time. The filmography used allowed the audience feeling more connected to the feelings and emotions in scenes. Soon, a hawk is shown in the picture, along with mounts of rocks that are falling down. Again, the film creators used filmography to connect the audience to the emotions and the character’s journeys. Travis continued to walk, following power lines, which are the next means of communication displayed. While walking down this straight path, Travis comes across his brother, Walt. During this scene the use of the camera and background images were used in a clever way to display differences in the two brother’s lives. Behind Travis stood a mountain filled with trees and obstacles and Walt’s background mountain seemed to be clean with a more fulfilled, completed life. During this scene, Travis’ brother said that it looked like he had just gone through a whole lot of obstacles; reflecting the view of the mountain. The use of filmography and background images such as the falling rocks and the clutter-filled mountain helps the audience see that Travis’ life is not fulfilled or he is attempting to reach satisfaction; however, many troubles have come between him and happiness. After his meeting with Walt, many more means of communication come into play: the train, trucks, freeways, telephones, and airplanes. The way that each scene was shot had the purpose to show more about characters and the type of society they lived in. The display of progression of communication and the clever use of film was used to better understand the story and journeys of the individuals.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Allie Stough Cabeza de Vaca
Cortez conquered Mexico and a ship wrecked in Florida. Most of the crew were killed and the rest went by land to Mexico. There were only four people left 8 years later. The leader of the group is called the Cabeza de Vaca, the head of a cow because he is the head of the group. He was captured by Shaman Indians and was a slave. They are burning a woman because she has died and they are mixing Shaman and Christianity. The are preforming a funeral procession. The are going to burn the woman in the cave. A man says that she is alive and he brings her back to life with a stone. Just like the lady, Lazareth was untied and brought back to life. Estabone, the Spanish slave, is amazed. There are men that leave. They cant believe what they just saw happen. The lady walks out of the cave. The healer is in the tomb and is laying like a crucifix. The four men are now in Mexico. He stands between the desert and a town being built. He doesn't know which way to go. He is no into the destruction and he is going to talk to the captain. He is in between a gulf.
Pink Floyd "The Wall"
the boys name is Pink and his mom hovers over him because his dad died when he was very young. There is blood going down the drain from a crass. He is sacrificing for nothing. Men sacrifice their lives and there are walking men. The grave markers represent the men who sacrificed their lives. There is a red cross in the British flag which represents the religious wars. People have unique faces but when they come out of the machine they all look the same. Society makes everyone look the same and no one can be unique. Pink is punished for writing poetry and creativity is not productive. He gets married and he gets his love from someone other than her. People use materialistic things to make them happy. If you don't follow technique then you don't fit into society. People mug and steal to go up in society because they are poor. The flowers are fighting and the woman flower is rough and eats the male flower. People get alienated for being different.
Emily Jackson Dunlop- Liminality
Communitasse is a connection to other people around you while you are in the liminal state. The bonds that are formed in the liminal state are much different to those formed outside of it. It occurs only where social structure is not. To reach liminality one must first separate and leave society behind.
In Turner's book, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, he discusses liminality and how we perceive others while we are in the liminal state. When we are in a state of liminality, the word "you" has no borders and can't be defined. We can experience another person as a "you" during the liminal state because we understand that they are forever a mystery, forever becoming and happening continuously. Other times when we don't focus on having a genuine relationship with someone they become simply "he" or "she" meaning that they have boundaries. We don't make the connection of "communitasse" while we are outside liminality. Unfortunately, when we experience the liminal state cannot be controlled so we must make the most of it when it occurs.
In Turner's book, Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, he discusses liminality and how we perceive others while we are in the liminal state. When we are in a state of liminality, the word "you" has no borders and can't be defined. We can experience another person as a "you" during the liminal state because we understand that they are forever a mystery, forever becoming and happening continuously. Other times when we don't focus on having a genuine relationship with someone they become simply "he" or "she" meaning that they have boundaries. We don't make the connection of "communitasse" while we are outside liminality. Unfortunately, when we experience the liminal state cannot be controlled so we must make the most of it when it occurs.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Emily Jackson Dunlop- Chronos and Kairos
2/14/12
According to the ancient Greeks, time can be interpreted in two different ways: chronos or kairos time. Chronos is simply time that can be measured, time on the clock. Chronos or chronological time passes by as it always does and there is nothing spectacular or numinous about it. But kairos time is a very different experience. Kairos time is when the most beloved and important memories are made in our lives. Kairos time can not be controlled although we would like to be able to control it rather than live in the monotonous world of chronos time. We must make the most of Kairos time as these moments are comprised of the most important moments in our lives.
According to the ancient Greeks, time can be interpreted in two different ways: chronos or kairos time. Chronos is simply time that can be measured, time on the clock. Chronos or chronological time passes by as it always does and there is nothing spectacular or numinous about it. But kairos time is a very different experience. Kairos time is when the most beloved and important memories are made in our lives. Kairos time can not be controlled although we would like to be able to control it rather than live in the monotonous world of chronos time. We must make the most of Kairos time as these moments are comprised of the most important moments in our lives.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Steven Chung Student's Choosing Blog 2
Not this past Saturday but the week before (the 4th of February), I got to experience the transformation of an ordinary place into an extraordinary place. As mentioned in Lane's Landscape of the Sacred, the second axiom states that sacred space is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary. I got to experience such a phenomenon first hand as I participated in the pledging initiation for Kappa Sigma's new Fraternity Colony here at Christopher Newport University. In every other circumstance (for me at least), McMurran 114 was just an ordinary lecture room used for classes and meetings through out the week. But during the pledging initiation process held that morning, room 114 became more than just a regular lecture room. It became a special place of gathering amongst me and all the other Kappa Sigma brothers. My pledge brothers and I underwent a special ceremonial event together that we will never forget for the rest of our lives. We participated in different rituals and rites that transformed an ordinary class room into a sacred place that enveloped more significant value. This particular occasion made clear to me first hand how sacred place is just an ordinary place, that can ritually be made extraordinary.
-Steven Chung
-Steven Chung
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Allie Stough Decalogue
1. How does the visual medium of film work as Midrash?
The medium of film works to depict Midrash in many different ways. Midrash is the whole series of short story books of holistic preaching teaching on the Torah about ethics and morals used in the Jewish faith. The film works as Midrash through visual medium by depicting the Ten Commandments through acting. The film media is the perfect medium for telling a story because the viewer can see and hear the story being told. Another characteristic of Midrash is asking questions about the story. In the beginning of Decalogue 5 the viewer is asked many questions and is shown many statements which gets the viewer thinking about what he is gong to see. For example, ‘Punishment means revenge.’ ‘It aims to harm but doesn’t prevent crime.’ ‘The law should improve nature.’ ‘People invented the law.’ ‘We observe it or break it.’ These statements make you think. Do the innocent make the rules? The film uses the Midrash technique of storytelling to help one understand.
2. Be specific in answering this question, relating the answer to the Commandment and the way the medium works to throw you into the struggle to find meaning.
Instead of just telling us about the Ten Commandments, they are acted out with much description. Faces are used as a way to show meaning. In Decalogue 1 the film is getting you to question your faith. The boy is questioning life. The medium of the film is trying to get the viewer to question their faith. People have thoughts that are fighting against their feelings.
Decalogue 1
There shall be no other God before me.
The dad thinks that he can use reason instead of faith in God. He lacks faith. The aunt blindly believes and has faith. The telling of the story and the focusing on the characters tries gets the viewer personally into the story.
Decalogue 5
Thou shalt not kill.
Is killing ever justified? The 21 year old just killed the taxi driver. He may have had mental issues because he is guilt ridden about his sister’s death. Jacek and his friend had been drinking and his friend ran over the sister with a tractor in a meadow. Jacek feels that his sister’s dearth was his fault. The attorney felt empathy towards Jacek almost like a son. He struggles with the idea of death and killing. People try to live their life based on the commandments, but life is not black and white. The viewer is brought into the struggle that the attorney feels.
3. Do any of the visuals of the films work as symbols that bridge the gap of understanding?
There are visuals of the film that work to help better understand the meaning. For example, in Thou shalt not kill; the boy uses a piece a rope to choke a man to death. He uses a rock to throw over an over pass. It hits a car and the car swerves. He pushes a man down in the bathroom. They all are showing us the mental tormual of Jacek over the death if his sister. It leads up to the hanging and what your beliefs are about it. There are also symbols in I am thou God, you should have no other gods before me. I believe that there are a lot of representations of God in this movie: the man sitting by the pond, the woman playing the chess game, when the dad sees the computer say, “I am ready.” The dead dog symbolizes death that is to come. The pond represents life. The ponds ice changes from when the dad checked it and the boy went on it: life changes. The man by the pond is like Christ because Christ is always watching us and knows what will happen. Just like the Lords prayer “Thy will be done.” The computer is like a false God and the father believes the computer over faith. The dad thinks he can solve everything rationally. There is a church by the pond where Jesus like man is. The ink that the dad spills is like the blood of Christ, and then the dad washes his hands of it. He doesn’t believe. The symbols make the viewer think more about what he is seeing.
4. How did the film relate feeling to meaning?
The film helps relate feeling to meaning in many ways. There is love between the Father and the son, Pavel. The Icon at the church has a tear in its eye as if it is crying over Pavel’s death. We see a lot of faces in the movie and they have a lot on emotion and feeling. The Aunt, Irena, says that life is a gift. The computer says, “I am ready.” He listens to the computer instead of using his faith. The dad knocks over the altar in the church because he is mad at himself. The attorney goes to a meadow where there is a light. This is where his sister was murdered. The light seems to symbolize the sister. During the execution they put a pan under him, because you loose all of your bodily fluid when you get hung. The boy struggles and thrashes as he walks up to be hung. All of the focusing of the events in the film makes the viewer thinks about his feelings. For example, in the scene where the executioner is preparing everything for the hanging the viewer cant help but think about how that might feel to be hung. In the end of Decalogue 5 the attorney yells over and over “I abhor” – I hate it. He hated that he had to do his job. He couldn’t save Jacek. The law is the law. His screaming makes us feel the turmoil of the death penalty.
5. Note that Kieslowski said, “It very quickly became clear that these would be films about feelings and passions, because we knew that love, or fear of death, of the pain caused by a needle-prick, are common to all people, irrespective of their political views, the colour of their skin or their standard of living.”
Kieslowski is the Polish writer of the film. He wanted it to be universal to all life and not just Polish. He is trying to level humanity and he used the medium of film to portray the morals of the commandments in a way that everyone could understand.
6. Finally, does this film cycle work to contextualize the integrate the code into an individual’s life, bridging the flux of the moment to the ultimate meaning of eternity?
The film cycle of the Ten Commandments in the Decalogue’s relates the meaning of the commandants in an everyday way. The director takes a moment in time and makes you think beyond this work. He makes them more alive because he brings them to events that are happening today. It is a mental picture that one cannot get out of their head. The Ten Commandments become alive and help the viewer think beyond the moment of where they are.
The medium of film works to depict Midrash in many different ways. Midrash is the whole series of short story books of holistic preaching teaching on the Torah about ethics and morals used in the Jewish faith. The film works as Midrash through visual medium by depicting the Ten Commandments through acting. The film media is the perfect medium for telling a story because the viewer can see and hear the story being told. Another characteristic of Midrash is asking questions about the story. In the beginning of Decalogue 5 the viewer is asked many questions and is shown many statements which gets the viewer thinking about what he is gong to see. For example, ‘Punishment means revenge.’ ‘It aims to harm but doesn’t prevent crime.’ ‘The law should improve nature.’ ‘People invented the law.’ ‘We observe it or break it.’ These statements make you think. Do the innocent make the rules? The film uses the Midrash technique of storytelling to help one understand.
2. Be specific in answering this question, relating the answer to the Commandment and the way the medium works to throw you into the struggle to find meaning.
Instead of just telling us about the Ten Commandments, they are acted out with much description. Faces are used as a way to show meaning. In Decalogue 1 the film is getting you to question your faith. The boy is questioning life. The medium of the film is trying to get the viewer to question their faith. People have thoughts that are fighting against their feelings.
Decalogue 1
There shall be no other God before me.
The dad thinks that he can use reason instead of faith in God. He lacks faith. The aunt blindly believes and has faith. The telling of the story and the focusing on the characters tries gets the viewer personally into the story.
Decalogue 5
Thou shalt not kill.
Is killing ever justified? The 21 year old just killed the taxi driver. He may have had mental issues because he is guilt ridden about his sister’s death. Jacek and his friend had been drinking and his friend ran over the sister with a tractor in a meadow. Jacek feels that his sister’s dearth was his fault. The attorney felt empathy towards Jacek almost like a son. He struggles with the idea of death and killing. People try to live their life based on the commandments, but life is not black and white. The viewer is brought into the struggle that the attorney feels.
3. Do any of the visuals of the films work as symbols that bridge the gap of understanding?
There are visuals of the film that work to help better understand the meaning. For example, in Thou shalt not kill; the boy uses a piece a rope to choke a man to death. He uses a rock to throw over an over pass. It hits a car and the car swerves. He pushes a man down in the bathroom. They all are showing us the mental tormual of Jacek over the death if his sister. It leads up to the hanging and what your beliefs are about it. There are also symbols in I am thou God, you should have no other gods before me. I believe that there are a lot of representations of God in this movie: the man sitting by the pond, the woman playing the chess game, when the dad sees the computer say, “I am ready.” The dead dog symbolizes death that is to come. The pond represents life. The ponds ice changes from when the dad checked it and the boy went on it: life changes. The man by the pond is like Christ because Christ is always watching us and knows what will happen. Just like the Lords prayer “Thy will be done.” The computer is like a false God and the father believes the computer over faith. The dad thinks he can solve everything rationally. There is a church by the pond where Jesus like man is. The ink that the dad spills is like the blood of Christ, and then the dad washes his hands of it. He doesn’t believe. The symbols make the viewer think more about what he is seeing.
4. How did the film relate feeling to meaning?
The film helps relate feeling to meaning in many ways. There is love between the Father and the son, Pavel. The Icon at the church has a tear in its eye as if it is crying over Pavel’s death. We see a lot of faces in the movie and they have a lot on emotion and feeling. The Aunt, Irena, says that life is a gift. The computer says, “I am ready.” He listens to the computer instead of using his faith. The dad knocks over the altar in the church because he is mad at himself. The attorney goes to a meadow where there is a light. This is where his sister was murdered. The light seems to symbolize the sister. During the execution they put a pan under him, because you loose all of your bodily fluid when you get hung. The boy struggles and thrashes as he walks up to be hung. All of the focusing of the events in the film makes the viewer thinks about his feelings. For example, in the scene where the executioner is preparing everything for the hanging the viewer cant help but think about how that might feel to be hung. In the end of Decalogue 5 the attorney yells over and over “I abhor” – I hate it. He hated that he had to do his job. He couldn’t save Jacek. The law is the law. His screaming makes us feel the turmoil of the death penalty.
5. Note that Kieslowski said, “It very quickly became clear that these would be films about feelings and passions, because we knew that love, or fear of death, of the pain caused by a needle-prick, are common to all people, irrespective of their political views, the colour of their skin or their standard of living.”
Kieslowski is the Polish writer of the film. He wanted it to be universal to all life and not just Polish. He is trying to level humanity and he used the medium of film to portray the morals of the commandments in a way that everyone could understand.
6. Finally, does this film cycle work to contextualize the integrate the code into an individual’s life, bridging the flux of the moment to the ultimate meaning of eternity?
The film cycle of the Ten Commandments in the Decalogue’s relates the meaning of the commandants in an everyday way. The director takes a moment in time and makes you think beyond this work. He makes them more alive because he brings them to events that are happening today. It is a mental picture that one cannot get out of their head. The Ten Commandments become alive and help the viewer think beyond the moment of where they are.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Nicolas Maxim: Beyond Cognitivism: Phenomenology and the Recovery of Place
In Lane's book Landscapes of the Sacred, Casey talks about human interaction with nature and argues that we cannot know nature without being engaged in it. He proceeds to say that sacred places are encountered by some sort of experience where we analyze the place's "affordances" and are somehow effected by the geography of the place. On page 56, Casey then gives six different "moments of Nature" in which he tells of the exchange between subject and matter. I agree with the several of Casey's points for many reasons.
Casey talks about the surrounding "ambient array", which I feel is the number one thing that first draws someone to a certain place. Usually someone is drawn to a place by its beauty and geography, and then they will have some kind of experience at the place which in-turn makes the place sacred.
He mentions that certain "things" we see at a place give it more meaning and draw more attention. This reminds me of when I visited New York at ground zero months after the towers fell. When we saw the rubble the place was just dirty and not anything special, but once we saw the stones with the names of all those who died the place took a completely different meaning. The fact that human beings had died there gave it a more sacred and holy feeling, because death is often associated with holiness and spirituality.
Lastly, he talks about the "atmosphere" of a place, and argues that the atmosphere is what gives the place its identity and mood. This is true aswell because when I was hiking in Zion National Park we hiked up to a place called Scouts Landing which was right below Angels Landing. Our hike had been tough but the next part was much tougher. The next hundred yards was no wider than 24" and had chains to hold on to in order to reach the peak. We didn't do the second part, however, I would imagine that once reaching the peak the atmosphere of the place would give you a feeling of peacefulness and insignificance. The feeling of insignificance would come from fact that the mountain is much greater than you.
These are just some examples of why I agree with Casey's "moments of Nature". While the other three points are important I felt that these three were ones that I could relate to through my personal experiences.
-Nicolas Maxim
Casey talks about the surrounding "ambient array", which I feel is the number one thing that first draws someone to a certain place. Usually someone is drawn to a place by its beauty and geography, and then they will have some kind of experience at the place which in-turn makes the place sacred.
He mentions that certain "things" we see at a place give it more meaning and draw more attention. This reminds me of when I visited New York at ground zero months after the towers fell. When we saw the rubble the place was just dirty and not anything special, but once we saw the stones with the names of all those who died the place took a completely different meaning. The fact that human beings had died there gave it a more sacred and holy feeling, because death is often associated with holiness and spirituality.
Lastly, he talks about the "atmosphere" of a place, and argues that the atmosphere is what gives the place its identity and mood. This is true aswell because when I was hiking in Zion National Park we hiked up to a place called Scouts Landing which was right below Angels Landing. Our hike had been tough but the next part was much tougher. The next hundred yards was no wider than 24" and had chains to hold on to in order to reach the peak. We didn't do the second part, however, I would imagine that once reaching the peak the atmosphere of the place would give you a feeling of peacefulness and insignificance. The feeling of insignificance would come from fact that the mountain is much greater than you.
These are just some examples of why I agree with Casey's "moments of Nature". While the other three points are important I felt that these three were ones that I could relate to through my personal experiences.
-Nicolas Maxim
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Chipotle.
This is the last blog which I am required to write on any free choice topic. Therefore, as promised to a fellow student, this blog will be about why Chipotle is one of my sacred places.
I love Chipotle. That should be made clear first.
Sure I love the food, and trust me, I could go on for hours about it, so for that reason I’m going to avoid the easy tangent. Instead, I’m going to relate what I have learned in ULLC thus far to my personal sanctuary.
The main themes I feel like Redick has discussed are the ideas of transcendence, pneumaticity, genius loci, axis mundi, and communitas.
Well, Chipotle IN FACT has all of these. I promise.
Let’s first talk about the transcendence. To me, to deem something as “transcendent,” I believe it has to surpass the ordinary, beyond the range of human experience. Chipotle brings this to the table, and not just with its glorious, glorious food which transcends all prior flavors my taste-buds have met. But the whole atmosphere of a Chipotle restaurant is what makes the place a heavenly experience. The atmosphere in general is what actually ties the pneumaticity, genius loci, axis mundi, and communitas together! It dotes a permanent sense of comfort, warmth, and personally, a severe case of nostalgia.
The axis mundi, or the spirit of a place, is what I first feel when I enter Chipotle. I feel the eagerness of the servers, and anticipation of hungry customers, and the joy from all living beings in the building, their emotions influencing the air I breathe as I walk in. Rushing excitement is provoked by the servers while the served encourage a sense of satisfaction and gratification. It’s noticeable: the only feeling anyone has in a Chipotle is happiness. People. Love. Chipotle. Ask anyone! There is something else besides the burritos that we are feeding off of and although unknown, it possesses a powerful pneumaticity, drawing us all back on a frequent basis.
Chipotle’s sense of communitas is the next, and perhaps the most significant factor, making this industry transcendent. The community is the friendliest I have experienced. Not only do the employees’ genuine smiles and interest in their customers make me feel welcome and at home, the silent yet understood public consensus, “WE LOVE CHIPOTLE,” has me bonded to all other fanatics sitting with me in the restaurant. I feel a connection to all people and things in Chipotle restaurants, and acknowledged treaty of peace signed at the door by all men, women, and children.
Chipotle is leminal, a genius loci of sorts. To me, it truly is a transition site between two worlds. In one of its bordering worlds is our society on the outside of its doors. Where all people act as normally expected, including arguments, violence, and starvation. The other world Chipotle sits on is a world where peace is the norm. All people are content and have an understanding of their purpose with one another. Chipotle shows our society’s conflicted inhabitants a preview of another world. When we go inside, for that hour or so, it is apparent that all people leave their troubles on the other side of the building, and we agree to a care and guilt-free meal among others who can feel the same power and draw Chipotle has to offer. That to me is a transcendent environment.
- Emily Schulz -
I love Chipotle. That should be made clear first.
Sure I love the food, and trust me, I could go on for hours about it, so for that reason I’m going to avoid the easy tangent. Instead, I’m going to relate what I have learned in ULLC thus far to my personal sanctuary.
The main themes I feel like Redick has discussed are the ideas of transcendence, pneumaticity, genius loci, axis mundi, and communitas.
Well, Chipotle IN FACT has all of these. I promise.
Let’s first talk about the transcendence. To me, to deem something as “transcendent,” I believe it has to surpass the ordinary, beyond the range of human experience. Chipotle brings this to the table, and not just with its glorious, glorious food which transcends all prior flavors my taste-buds have met. But the whole atmosphere of a Chipotle restaurant is what makes the place a heavenly experience. The atmosphere in general is what actually ties the pneumaticity, genius loci, axis mundi, and communitas together! It dotes a permanent sense of comfort, warmth, and personally, a severe case of nostalgia.
The axis mundi, or the spirit of a place, is what I first feel when I enter Chipotle. I feel the eagerness of the servers, and anticipation of hungry customers, and the joy from all living beings in the building, their emotions influencing the air I breathe as I walk in. Rushing excitement is provoked by the servers while the served encourage a sense of satisfaction and gratification. It’s noticeable: the only feeling anyone has in a Chipotle is happiness. People. Love. Chipotle. Ask anyone! There is something else besides the burritos that we are feeding off of and although unknown, it possesses a powerful pneumaticity, drawing us all back on a frequent basis.
Chipotle’s sense of communitas is the next, and perhaps the most significant factor, making this industry transcendent. The community is the friendliest I have experienced. Not only do the employees’ genuine smiles and interest in their customers make me feel welcome and at home, the silent yet understood public consensus, “WE LOVE CHIPOTLE,” has me bonded to all other fanatics sitting with me in the restaurant. I feel a connection to all people and things in Chipotle restaurants, and acknowledged treaty of peace signed at the door by all men, women, and children.
Chipotle is leminal, a genius loci of sorts. To me, it truly is a transition site between two worlds. In one of its bordering worlds is our society on the outside of its doors. Where all people act as normally expected, including arguments, violence, and starvation. The other world Chipotle sits on is a world where peace is the norm. All people are content and have an understanding of their purpose with one another. Chipotle shows our society’s conflicted inhabitants a preview of another world. When we go inside, for that hour or so, it is apparent that all people leave their troubles on the other side of the building, and we agree to a care and guilt-free meal among others who can feel the same power and draw Chipotle has to offer. That to me is a transcendent environment.
- Emily Schulz -
Emily Jackson Dunlop- Axioms from Lane reading
2/8/12
Four axioms in the study of sacred place in Belden C. Lanes' book are thought provoking in that they delve deep into the true meaning of sacred place. The first axiom states that sacred place is not chosen it chooses. It is not always an obvious place such as a gorgeous view off the top of a mountain or finding a burning in the wilderness. Sometimes, like Lane describes in his story about the clearing in the woods, one must simply wait for the place to find them.
The second axiom says that sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary. Sometimes people expect too much of a sacred place, often thinking that they will encounter God himself once they find this place. This makes them rather disappointed when the find nothing. However sacred place can be any ordinary location made extraordinary such as by legend or previous experience by others. One can experience something simple but something that makes an impact on them in a specific place that makes this once ordinary place sacred to that individual.
A third axiom listed in Lanes' book suggests that sacred place can be tred upon without being entered. One can be walking through a sacred place known by others and not know themselves that the place is sacred. Without knowledge or a personal experience within a location that place would not be acknowledged as being sacred by the person passing through it. Sacred place makes itself known to those willing and ready to accept it.
The fourth and final axiom states that the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. One wants to encounter the sacred in a centered place, a place of security and stability. However, God is never in one location He is everywhere at the same time so we all can reach Him equally.
Four axioms in the study of sacred place in Belden C. Lanes' book are thought provoking in that they delve deep into the true meaning of sacred place. The first axiom states that sacred place is not chosen it chooses. It is not always an obvious place such as a gorgeous view off the top of a mountain or finding a burning in the wilderness. Sometimes, like Lane describes in his story about the clearing in the woods, one must simply wait for the place to find them.
The second axiom says that sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary. Sometimes people expect too much of a sacred place, often thinking that they will encounter God himself once they find this place. This makes them rather disappointed when the find nothing. However sacred place can be any ordinary location made extraordinary such as by legend or previous experience by others. One can experience something simple but something that makes an impact on them in a specific place that makes this once ordinary place sacred to that individual.
A third axiom listed in Lanes' book suggests that sacred place can be tred upon without being entered. One can be walking through a sacred place known by others and not know themselves that the place is sacred. Without knowledge or a personal experience within a location that place would not be acknowledged as being sacred by the person passing through it. Sacred place makes itself known to those willing and ready to accept it.
The fourth and final axiom states that the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal. One wants to encounter the sacred in a centered place, a place of security and stability. However, God is never in one location He is everywhere at the same time so we all can reach Him equally.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Nicolas Maxim: The Paradox of Being Present to Place
In Lane's book Landscapes of the Sacred, he talks about the four axioms of sacred place. He states that the third axiom is where, "sacred place can be tred upon without being entered" (Lane,2002, pg. 19). When expanding upon his statement he says, "one can be there and yet not be there at the same time" (Lane, 2002, pg. 29). I feel that what Lane is saying is that when visiting a sacred place, people can be there for various reasons. One who is going for a pilgrimage will have much closer ties to the place and actually see it as a sacred place. However, one who is going mainly for the scenery or for sport will not see the place as sacred and therefore not be there mentally as the pilgrim is. The pilgrim will see the place as a much more magnificent place than the traveler, because the pilgrim has some form of relationship with the place that the traveler does not. I think of it this way; if I were to go visit a ordinary place daily, it wouldn't have much meaning because I would only be engaged physically and not mentally. If one day I had an experience at that place where I felt empowered or something numinous, then from there out visiting that place would be a totally different experience.
-Nicolas Maxim
-Nicolas Maxim
Monday, February 6, 2012
Kristin Melton-- Lane
In Lane's Landscapes of the Scared, he describes four axioms for study of scared place--
Sacred place is not chosen, it chooses,
Sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary,
sacred place can be tred upon without being entered,
the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal.
Of these four axioms, the third stood out the most to me. Lane states, "One can be there and yet not be there at the same time" (29). The presence of the body does necessarily mean presence of the soul within a place. The term 'genius loci' is mentioned, referring to the spirit of the place. I believe this explanation of sacred place. If one defines a place as 'sacred' then they will feel a connection or sense of protection from the place. If, however, the place is only sacred to a specific few, outsiders will not feel the same emotions when at the place. It is all in how you perceive the place, how you feel about it.
1
Sacred place is not chosen, it chooses,
Sacred place is ordinary place, ritually made extraordinary,
sacred place can be tred upon without being entered,
the impulse of sacred place is both centripetal and centrifugal, local and universal.
Of these four axioms, the third stood out the most to me. Lane states, "One can be there and yet not be there at the same time" (29). The presence of the body does necessarily mean presence of the soul within a place. The term 'genius loci' is mentioned, referring to the spirit of the place. I believe this explanation of sacred place. If one defines a place as 'sacred' then they will feel a connection or sense of protection from the place. If, however, the place is only sacred to a specific few, outsiders will not feel the same emotions when at the place. It is all in how you perceive the place, how you feel about it.
1
Reddish Knob, Evan Moog
I got the opportunity to visit a mountain top near JMU when I visited my girlfriend recently. Reddish knob was on the border of Virginia and West Virginia. My girlfriend and I drove up to the summit early in the morning so that we could be a part of the sunrise. It was an amazing experience being so high during the sunrise and the clouds were also at a perfect level of cloudiness so that they could capture the color that the sun was emitting but also it did not block the blinding force of the sun that slowly climbed into the sky that morning. That was the first time I have ever seen the sunrise from the top of a mountain and it really showed me the beauty of the world around me. The height of the summit along with the grandeur of the event gave way to the thinness of the spectacle as well. I felt closer to the God that made such an amazing picture that was now laid out across the landscape in front of me. The colors were spread across the mountains as well as the clouds that connected with the mountains at the horizon in the opposite direction that the sun was rising. I am so glad that I got to share this wonderful experience with my girlfriend, and it gave me a better perspective of the beauty of the nature that is all around me.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Last Landscape Post
For me, the most interesting notion Lane made in Landscape was on page 148: “Any symbolic landscape is always multivalent in its meanings. Indeed, it is when a symbol is most able to engage the imagination that is most abounding in ambiguity.”
I think this is extremely true. One of the necessary things which I believe make a place sacred, is its ambiguity. When a place becomes know for being sacred due to its history, or simply because enough people refer to it as sacred, I feel like that place loses a lot of its raw significance. To me, the meaning fades when it is know as sacred for concrete reasons and not for the ambivalent but strong hold it has on its visitors.
I think a place is most sacred when its symbolism is at its most obscure. That is when its pneumaticity has its most power over people. Lane at one point in Landscape describes a desert as sacred because of its indifferent silence and that everybody has their own interpretation if it’s symbolism. In another section of Landscape, Lane mentions the term “locus mirabilis,” which is a place that feels transcendental among the well known areas nearby. If a place loses its obscurity, how are we supposed to see as clearly just how uncommon and extraordinary it is?
Lane claims that an environment affects one’s perception of reality, while this perception in turn transforms the essence of the environment. If a place is meant to be sacred, but looks and feels and its considered the same by everyone else, and if its sacredness has been publicized to a point where it loses its ambiguous weight, then how does our perception affect us from there? And in reciprocity, how does that warped perception make us think about the original “sacred” environment?
Just a thought.
- Emily Schulz -
I think this is extremely true. One of the necessary things which I believe make a place sacred, is its ambiguity. When a place becomes know for being sacred due to its history, or simply because enough people refer to it as sacred, I feel like that place loses a lot of its raw significance. To me, the meaning fades when it is know as sacred for concrete reasons and not for the ambivalent but strong hold it has on its visitors.
I think a place is most sacred when its symbolism is at its most obscure. That is when its pneumaticity has its most power over people. Lane at one point in Landscape describes a desert as sacred because of its indifferent silence and that everybody has their own interpretation if it’s symbolism. In another section of Landscape, Lane mentions the term “locus mirabilis,” which is a place that feels transcendental among the well known areas nearby. If a place loses its obscurity, how are we supposed to see as clearly just how uncommon and extraordinary it is?
Lane claims that an environment affects one’s perception of reality, while this perception in turn transforms the essence of the environment. If a place is meant to be sacred, but looks and feels and its considered the same by everyone else, and if its sacredness has been publicized to a point where it loses its ambiguous weight, then how does our perception affect us from there? And in reciprocity, how does that warped perception make us think about the original “sacred” environment?
Just a thought.
- Emily Schulz -
SPACE vs. PLACE
Lane says that “space” and “place” should be considered two different words, however they are dependent on each other in order to exist. He says that place brings us stability and security while space brings us openness and freedom. He says that through the comfort that place gives us, we can take on the unknown which space provides.
We need both place and space to find our sacred area because, as Lane says, it is a human essential to “reify experience.” Humans always feel a desire to go back to a time we cherish, and we look for places or items which can represent those experiences. This is a big reason why people use art to demonstrate their emotions. People write poetry, sketch, and paint to create their feelings and history.
That is definitely true for me. I am a big fan of drawing and using art to experience parts of my past. It is incredibly therapeutic if the particular memory is unpleasant, and if the memory you are trying to represent is a good one, then you not have a tangible object to express that moment and all of its glory.
Using art is a great facet to go back and look through your history, and to have place's comfort to help relive those moments can let you discover the rawness that space has to show you.
- Emily Schulz -
We need both place and space to find our sacred area because, as Lane says, it is a human essential to “reify experience.” Humans always feel a desire to go back to a time we cherish, and we look for places or items which can represent those experiences. This is a big reason why people use art to demonstrate their emotions. People write poetry, sketch, and paint to create their feelings and history.
That is definitely true for me. I am a big fan of drawing and using art to experience parts of my past. It is incredibly therapeutic if the particular memory is unpleasant, and if the memory you are trying to represent is a good one, then you not have a tangible object to express that moment and all of its glory.
Using art is a great facet to go back and look through your history, and to have place's comfort to help relive those moments can let you discover the rawness that space has to show you.
- Emily Schulz -
Lane's Spider Symbolism
The last idea that stood out to me in Landscape was the metaphor of the spider and how it resembles the symbolism of a sacred place. Lane discusses how a spider is know for his web-spinning. The webs are ambiguous to understand, as are many human concepts such as philosophy, theology, and psychology. Also, although these webs are intricately constructed, they are not delicate. They become concrete forms and make live experiences, both in the process of building and their inevitable capture of prey.
As Lane says, the spider and his web, much like the symbolism in a sacred place, can be admired and awed while also feared. The spider spinning a web is also a demonstration of how symbols are made and then interpreted later. We can look at a web and wonder its purpose, how it was created, what fate it will bring to some, and how we feel about it, just like how we think about a symbolic place and its affect on us.
Lane finishes this by saying “we must attend to the interior operations of the symbolic life and to the larger cultural web,” which to me say we must acknowledge the building blocks and origins of a sacred place so we can recognize how its symbolism and history impact the bigger picture today.
- Emily Schulz -
As Lane says, the spider and his web, much like the symbolism in a sacred place, can be admired and awed while also feared. The spider spinning a web is also a demonstration of how symbols are made and then interpreted later. We can look at a web and wonder its purpose, how it was created, what fate it will bring to some, and how we feel about it, just like how we think about a symbolic place and its affect on us.
Lane finishes this by saying “we must attend to the interior operations of the symbolic life and to the larger cultural web,” which to me say we must acknowledge the building blocks and origins of a sacred place so we can recognize how its symbolism and history impact the bigger picture today.
- Emily Schulz -
Friday, February 3, 2012
Outside Reading Blog #3
For my third and final blog on my outside reading, I though I would discuss my favorite quote. Not only does it demonstrate how much of the book is written, it shows how in such simple writing (as I've mentioned prior) can still form complex ideas.
"Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs. I wonder how they feel tonight."
This is my favorite concept of the whole book. Although this barely has any relation to the theme of PBW, it is a concept I can relate to a lot. The thoughts that Charlie has on a daily basis are ones that I too think, and a thought like this is a great example of my own imagination. I think I'm so intrigued by Charlie's small yet insightful thoughts such as this one because I have always thought that I was the only one who had those ideas in my head. Even if Charlie isn't a real character, Chbosky created Charlie to have those cognitive patterns, and to know that Chbosky at least has thought like I do is very interesting.
I always think of these small scenarios. I look at chairs and think about all of the people before me who sat in them, or as I sit in my dorm, what other people have lived here before me and called it home? And where are those people? Do I know them? Have they grown and become successful?
I think about every object I touch, and who else may have interacted with my own items, whether it was intentional or not. Whenever I hold my textbooks or drive on the highway and see the people passing me, I wonder how many of the others unknowingly involved think in this way too. That concept alone is something that always draws me back to Charlie's character and PBW in general.
- Emily Schulz -
"Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs. I wonder how they feel tonight."
This is my favorite concept of the whole book. Although this barely has any relation to the theme of PBW, it is a concept I can relate to a lot. The thoughts that Charlie has on a daily basis are ones that I too think, and a thought like this is a great example of my own imagination. I think I'm so intrigued by Charlie's small yet insightful thoughts such as this one because I have always thought that I was the only one who had those ideas in my head. Even if Charlie isn't a real character, Chbosky created Charlie to have those cognitive patterns, and to know that Chbosky at least has thought like I do is very interesting.
I always think of these small scenarios. I look at chairs and think about all of the people before me who sat in them, or as I sit in my dorm, what other people have lived here before me and called it home? And where are those people? Do I know them? Have they grown and become successful?
I think about every object I touch, and who else may have interacted with my own items, whether it was intentional or not. Whenever I hold my textbooks or drive on the highway and see the people passing me, I wonder how many of the others unknowingly involved think in this way too. That concept alone is something that always draws me back to Charlie's character and PBW in general.
- Emily Schulz -
Class Summary
In class on Wednesday, we spent a majority of the time discussing the significance in specific objects. For example, the symbolism behind Route 66 has a strong sense of sacredness for many people in many aspects. It was not only a big part of introducing industrialization to our country, but as the first highway, it brought easier transportation to all people. It was such a big part of our history that it’s importance was carried for decades, throughout the changes of music and to this day is still known.
This conversation began after Redick showed us a “Route 66” sign that was displayed on a hill which holds several trinkets, which hikers have left behind on their trips. On the same hill as the road sign lay many stones and small items which hold personal significance, and Redick had us analyze why each item may by important to hikers. For example, there was an empty beer bottle left on the pile, and we questioned why that bottle was something a hiker carried with him on the entire trail. One suggestion was that he left the drink there in honor of a friend whom had passed.
This brought Redick to the story of how he met one hiker who was walking for his late friend, Charlie. For Charlie, Redick said the hiker took a beer and poured it out and left the bottle to his friend on the hill. I think if I had to leave a trinket up on that hill, one of the first things I would leave would be a picture of me and my grandfather. He passed away when I was seven, and because the hill is so close to the sky, I would have some inner belief that having that meaningful item closer to Heaven would show others my desire to still be in touch with him.
- Emily Schulz -
This conversation began after Redick showed us a “Route 66” sign that was displayed on a hill which holds several trinkets, which hikers have left behind on their trips. On the same hill as the road sign lay many stones and small items which hold personal significance, and Redick had us analyze why each item may by important to hikers. For example, there was an empty beer bottle left on the pile, and we questioned why that bottle was something a hiker carried with him on the entire trail. One suggestion was that he left the drink there in honor of a friend whom had passed.
This brought Redick to the story of how he met one hiker who was walking for his late friend, Charlie. For Charlie, Redick said the hiker took a beer and poured it out and left the bottle to his friend on the hill. I think if I had to leave a trinket up on that hill, one of the first things I would leave would be a picture of me and my grandfather. He passed away when I was seven, and because the hill is so close to the sky, I would have some inner belief that having that meaningful item closer to Heaven would show others my desire to still be in touch with him.
- Emily Schulz -
Outside Reading Blog #2
In “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” one of Charlie’s constant ideas is making other people happy before himself. This concept really strikes a chord with me because I relate so well to it. Just like Charlie, I am always a people pleaser before I worry about what makes me happiest.
I see Charlie get in many situations that I have seen myself in where everyone around him is happy, just as Charlie and I would wish for, however we are not as excited or satisfied as those around us. There are many references to Charlie helping the one he has feelings for end up with another guy. I know the feeling all too well of wanting the one I like to be happy before even considering that they should be with me.
Throughout the book, I see how this affects Charlie, both positively and negatively. Positively because he is praised for being such a selfless soul, but also negatively because of the internal damage and stress it adds for him, both emotionally and mentally. This to me is something I know all too well, and I think because I find familiarity in that part of PBW, it is why I always go back to this book when I’m looking for an interesting read.
- Emily Schulz -
I see Charlie get in many situations that I have seen myself in where everyone around him is happy, just as Charlie and I would wish for, however we are not as excited or satisfied as those around us. There are many references to Charlie helping the one he has feelings for end up with another guy. I know the feeling all too well of wanting the one I like to be happy before even considering that they should be with me.
Throughout the book, I see how this affects Charlie, both positively and negatively. Positively because he is praised for being such a selfless soul, but also negatively because of the internal damage and stress it adds for him, both emotionally and mentally. This to me is something I know all too well, and I think because I find familiarity in that part of PBW, it is why I always go back to this book when I’m looking for an interesting read.
- Emily Schulz -
Outside Reading Blog #1
In Stephen Chbosky’s “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” one of my favorite aspects is the writing style. It is incredibly simple, without an extensive vocabulary and many simple sentences, sometimes even just fragments. This style is to represent the inner monologue of Charlie, a fifteen year old. Although Charlie has some very deep and complex thoughts throughout the book, most of the writing stays consistent and maintains its simplicity. This writing is meant to be in the “voice” of the character, however sometimes when I’m reading this, the simple aspect gets mistaken for oversimplified, making Charlie sound younger than he is.
There are portions of this book meant for an older audience, such as Charlie’s first-time experiences with marijuana and homosexuality. In these sections of the book, Charlie’s “voice” seems too immature and youthful to even be considered simply naive for his age. His almost-too-young maturity level is justified in other sections of the book. Chbosky shows Charlie hanging out with friends who, although are only a year or two older, seem to be very mature for their age compared to Charlie. There are parts where Charlie’s friends calm him down by getting him an ice cream, or they tell him to keep situations a secret, almost as if they are taking care of him. They are also there to talk him through very innocent scenarios where many people do not need guidance.
This is something I really do not like in “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” but I find that ironic because even though I don’t like it, I love the simplicity of the writing. What’s interesting about that is the part of Chbosky’s book that I hate, Charlie’s abnormal innocence, is what encourages the aspect of PBW which I love, the simple and easy to read writing style.
- Emily Schulz -
There are portions of this book meant for an older audience, such as Charlie’s first-time experiences with marijuana and homosexuality. In these sections of the book, Charlie’s “voice” seems too immature and youthful to even be considered simply naive for his age. His almost-too-young maturity level is justified in other sections of the book. Chbosky shows Charlie hanging out with friends who, although are only a year or two older, seem to be very mature for their age compared to Charlie. There are parts where Charlie’s friends calm him down by getting him an ice cream, or they tell him to keep situations a secret, almost as if they are taking care of him. They are also there to talk him through very innocent scenarios where many people do not need guidance.
This is something I really do not like in “Perks of Being a Wallflower,” but I find that ironic because even though I don’t like it, I love the simplicity of the writing. What’s interesting about that is the part of Chbosky’s book that I hate, Charlie’s abnormal innocence, is what encourages the aspect of PBW which I love, the simple and easy to read writing style.
- Emily Schulz -
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Steven Chung: Route 66 Sign on British Memorial
At the end of our last class period, Dr. Redick presented to the class several pictures of his visit to a British war memorial that was located on top of a mountain. One particular picture he showed the class was of a Route 66 highway sign at the memorial. As we were all getting ready to leave the class room, he asked us why someone would put that sign at the memorial. My guess is that someone (probably an American citizen) thought it would be something funny to do, and thought it would be cool to put that sign there. Or he or she could of had put that route 66 sign there for a specific reason. Perhaps Route 66 was a road he or she traveled on many times in his or her life. Route 66 is a major highway that stretches from California all the way to Illinois; perhaps he or she had many memories on that road and that road is a special historic route for him or her. And to leave that highway sign at the memorial could of been a gesture for his/her's appreciation for that route. These are just some of my thoughts as to why someone would place that road sign there.
-Steven Chung
-Steven Chung
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