Friday, August 24, 2007

Cultural Friday 5

Cultural Friday 5

I have spent the week at Summer School studying the Gospel and Western culture, we have looked at art, literature, music, film and popular culture in their myriad expressions. With that in mind I bring you the cultural Friday 5.Name a 1. Book2. Piece of music3. Work of art4. Film5. Unusual engagement with popular culture That have helped/ challenged you on your spiritual journey. Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith, how and why? Let us know in comments if you play and we'll trek on over.


Oh, dear. Choosing just one of my favorite things... is nearly impossible. Here's an attempt anyway.

1. Book: A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle - one of the ones that started it all for me many many years ago and opened whole new worlds of possibility.

2. Piece of music: So impossible to narrow it down - but Sibelius' Finlandia always broke my heart open, and the hymn "This is My Song" set to that tune is so utterly important for our world today. I almost chose it this week even though it didn't fit the theme at all, just because I think we need to sing it.

3. Work of art: Artemisia Gentileschi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:GENTILESCHI_Judith.jpg) Judith beheading Holofernes. Seriously - I know I'm crazy, but in college I found her and this painting and changed my major and fell in love with religious art and how it can give power in allowing her to speak through it (you have to read her life story) and to interpret the Bible, not to mention her incredible and overlooked talent. Camille Claudel's sculpture is a close second.

4. Film: I'll pick a recent pair of favorites - Whale Rider and QuinceaƱera. Perhaps I am processing my coming of age well after the fact? But more for what these say about family, and young women finding their place in the world, and culture, and faith and so much more...

5. Unusual engagement with popular culture: hmm. One of my favorite art-in-the-world experiences was the Stockholm subway system - every station is decorated by a different artist, so for the price of one ticket you can ride around all day looking at art. It was heaven for me when I was 19 and out of the country for the first time. If I ever win a bejillion dollars every bus stop in this city will be art-filled, after I remodel the church building and the conference church camp, start a real arts program in the public schools and take everybody I've ever met on a cruise.

Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith? Um, yes.

4 comments:

Processing Counselor said...

Makes me want to go to Stockholm

leah said...

Oh, I want to go to Stockholm, too! Great play all around--and I love your blog title.

RevDrKate said...

Great choices, L'engle was a world opener for me, too.

Rev SS said...

Count me in on the trip to Stockholm! Great play. Thanks.