The Last Judgment According to Bosch, Bruegel, and the Limbourg Brothers

When one views the art of the Renaissance period, he will notice the number of pieces depicting scenes of The Last Judgment, Hell, Satan, and Angels. People during this time period had a particular fascination with this sort of subject matter and artists such as Heironymous Bosch, Michael Pacher, Pieter Bruegel the elder, and Hans Memling transfered this fascination into sweeping, sometimes terrifying images. It is interesting to note the similarities between some of the peices. In several images, we see the recuring theme of darkness, naked sinners crowded together in a putrid mass of bodies, pain, weeping, and fire, much like the descriptions found in The Inferno, especially those that correlate with the imagery of the Bible. Here are several examples of Renaissance art illistrating the Last Judgment, Hell, Satan, and Angels.

Where For Art Thou, Storyline?

While Augustine's "Confessions" addressed his life in chronological order, it was still missing a certain "je ne sais quoi". As simplistic as this book was, I had trouble following a continued thought. In other words, there was no storyline! There was no way for Jacob's mind to connect to Augustine's. He could have at least thrown in an explosion or something! However, I digress.

(Note: That's the first time I've ever used the word digress correctly.)



A lack of storyline would stop most procrastinating college students, but not me! It was still fairly comprehensible, even without a solid plot. Augustine was sinning and he was doing it a lot, just like any normal human being. Throughout the story, Augustine is placed in various situations in which he much choose to work for the Lord or for himself. It's a classic setup. Augustine makes sure to scrap down a few warnings to his audience also, exclaiming that they could find themselves on hard times if they don't trust and follow God wholeheartedly. He was a smart man. The end of the book is devoted to the pursuit of knowledge. It's sort of his way of telling everyone to seek out the truth, instead of just listening to everyone around you. The God to singular man relationship is emphasized heavily in "Confessions", which is odd coming from a Catholic. It's easy to relate to Augustine. He thinks about lying, cheating, and sex just as much as the rest of us. He's baring his soul. Then again, some could argue that "Mein Kampf" is easy to relate to. Let's not go there.



Augustine showed the world that, without God, the pursuit of contentment is a wasted effort. People of the day needed to know that this still rang true. When the world labels the Bible "irrelevant to the times", people need a new example to shock sense back into them. This was the example they needed. They had to watch a man come apart over hundreds of pages. Keep in mind, this was only about three-hundred and fifty years after Christ died. It's hard to imagine what sort of literature it would take to make today's world stop and think like "Confessions" did.

The Outer Limits

One of the biggest problems in literature and in life is the fact that humans are limited. More specifically, humans are limited by words and time. Augustine struggled with this throughout his life and included it in his autobiography, The Confessions. In book nine he writes, "But with the mouth of the heart wide open, we drank in the waters flowing from your spring on high, 'the spring of life' which is in you. Sprinkled with this dew to the limit of our capacity, our minds attempted in some degree to reflect on so great a reality." Many times in our day and time it seems culture teaches us that we have no limits. We may even be taught that the only limits we have are the limits we place on ourselves. Movies like Rudy and Rocky are championed. Crowds cheer for the "underdogs" that seem to have insurmountable odds. While it is important to overcome obstacles, it is not to glorify a humanistic mindset. This is not true. Humans are finite beings that depend on the LORD God (whether they acknowledge it or not) for their existence. Humans are limited, especially in their full understanding of the divine. He also stated in chapter 9, "Eternal life is of the quality of that moment of understanding." Here Augustine shows through his own experience that humans can encounter glimpses and hints of the eternal future. However, he does understand that while his mind may be able to comprehend it, there is no language that can fully express what the glorious future in eternity will be like, even to the outer limits.

This Too Shall Pass

As I’m studying for the upcoming midterm, I decided it would be good to review some of the past material and pieces of literature we have covered. One of pieces of literature that I seemed to really enjoy was that of Boethius. He wrote mainly about philosophy and how it reconciles with the Christian world. In Prose 3, Poem 3. Philosophy tells Boethius that "this sorrow will also pass." I found out that not only literature students can really appreciate good writing, but some of the most important leaders in the past as well. One great leader, Abraham Lincoln, retold the story like this: "It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: 'And this, too, shall pass away.' How much it expresses! How chastening in the hour of pride! How consoling in the depths of affliction." The text means even more to me now, knowing that a great leader like Abraham Lincoln understood that even ancient literature can be used to help us understand the world around us and stay humble in the sight of the Lord. Probably one of my favorite quotes from Abraham Lincoln is, “Many times I have found myself driven to my knees under the sole conviction there was no where else to go.” Abraham Lincoln understood many things we think are too important will pass away one day. Yet, he also understood the one thing that will remain is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Boethius also writes on page 27 in book II, “And lastly, when you have once put your neck beneath the yoke of Fortune, you must with steadfast heart bear whatever comes to pass within her realm.” We should accept the fate God has laid out before us with the same attitude that carried Abraham Lincoln, an attitude that brings us to our knees.

Maybe it's lame...

that I'm posting twice in a row, but hey what can I say, I'm on a roll tonight! ;)

So here's what I've got: When we get back from the break, we're going to have to hit the ground running with our two big projects. My blueprints for the trebuchet aren't quite ready for production ;), however, I did find this overview of Midsummer Night's Dream (which, I don't know about all of you, but I have yet to read). Maybe it will be helpful in catching the overall feel of the play before we dive right in. It sounds pretty exciting, and I'm super stoked that we are going to have these opportunities this semester! Happy reading! Enjoy your break!

"Lysander loves Hermia, and Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius used to love Helena but now loves Hermia. Egeus, Hermia's father, prefers Demetrius as a suitor, and enlists the aid of Theseus, the Duke of Athens, to enforce his wishes upon his daughter. According to Athenian law, Hermia is given four days to choose between Demetrius, life in a nunnery, or a death sentence. Hermia, ever defiant, chooses to escape with Lysander into the surrounding forest.

Complications arise in the forest. Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of Fairies, are locked in a dispute over a boy whom Titania has adopted. Oberon instructs his servant Puck to bring him magic love drops, which Oberon will sprinkle on the Queen's eyelids as she sleeps, whereupon Titania will fall in love with the first creature she sees upon awakening. Meanwhile, Helena and Demetrius have also fled into the woods after Lysander and Hermia. Oberon, overhearing Demetrius's denouncement of Helena, takes pity upon her and tells Puck to place the magic drops upon the eyelids of Demetrius as well, so that Demetrius may fall in love with Helena. Puck, however, makes the mistake of putting the drops on the eyelids of Lysander instead. Helena stumbles over Lysander in the forest, and the spell is cast; Lysander now desires Helena and renounces a stunned Hermia.

In the midst of this chaos, a group of craftsmen are rehearsing for a production of "Pyramus and Thisbe," to be played for the Duke at his wedding. Puck impishly casts a spell on Bottom to give him the head of a donkey. Bottom, as luck would have it, is the first thing Titania sees when she awakens; hence, Bottom ends up being lavishly kept by the Queen. Oberon enjoys this sport, but is less amused when it becomes apparent that Puck has botched up the attempt to unite Demetrius and Helena. Oberon himself anoints Demetrius with the love potion and ensures that Helena is the first person he sees; however, Helena understandably feels that she is now being mocked by both Demetrius and Lysander (who is still magically enamored of her).
Finally, Oberon decides that all good sports must come to an end. He puts the four lovers to sleep and gives Lysander the antidote for the love potion so that he will love Hermia again when they all wake up. Next, Oberon gives Titania the antidote, and the King and Queen reconcile. Theseus and Hippolyta then discover Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demetrius asleep in the forest. All return to Athens to make sense of what they think is a strange dream. Likewise, Bottom returns to his players, and they perform "Pyramus and Thisbe" at the wedding feast (which has since become a wedding of three couples). As everyone retires, fairies perform their blessings and Puck delivers a tender epilogue soliloquy."

Source: Shakespeare Resource Center (www.bardweb.net)

So speaking of midterms...

So Augustine is obviously of the opinion that language is an inferior form of communication due to its transitory nature and it's lack of true eternal worth. This is then because the ones who utilize language as we know it, words, symbols, are themselves transient? I suppose that language would be considered inferior to a non-discursive image because an image is supposed to be a reflection of the truth. I'm sure, then, that it is no coincidence then that we are made in the image of God.

The image is less removed from the truth than language. In fact, language follows image in every aspect; what need have we for words unless the represent an image, a reflection of truth. It is interesting to me to consider that the Trinity was in such perfect communion before creation, (what with each entity being omniscient) that there was likely no need for language. Does it then follow that those first words that spoke creation into existence were both a blessing and a curse to the universe? For now the silence has been broken and there is a new style of mediation that has been created in time and is transitory as is every earthly thing. Is it possible that this foreshadowed the coming of Christ to intervene on our behalf? I do believe that perhaps language was a part of God's great plan for humanity. He know that fellowship with Him would soon enough be broken and that man would be incapable of maintaining fellowship with Him (and therefore with fellow men) without a fool-proof form of communication. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems that language, inferior though it may be to the Truth, is a gift to us.

The place of The Arts

Well I was talking the other day with a student from my Perspectives of Christian Art class. We both love the Christian art in the Gothic and Renaissance churches, but we have some major disagreements about how they should be used.

This person says that he feels that all the artwork is deceptive.

He says that churches use art and music to trick Christians into a "feeling" of worship. Churches find a song that makes people feel something and then they continue to copy that style in other pieces. They do this to give the church-goers a good feeling so they'll keep coming.. This person says that that is not true worship. It's deciet, and to be hated.

I agree that you get that sense of awe from this art, and from some songs. Who says that that is not a part of worship? I can't say that the intentions of these churches were good. You can tell from the way they stole icons from one another and profitted off of the pilgrimmages as a trade. But that doesn't mean that using art in churches is something bad.

You can't go along your whole Christian walk and never read anything from the Bible or reading a book on some Christian school of thought.. But I've never read a book by Kierkegaard or a geneology and wept. There is a place for satisfying curiosity and gaining knowledge, but we were given feelings. Feelings are good. The pleasure we take in emotions is not bad. It is the best things that can be twisted into the worst. Feelings are abused, I can't say that no one has ever cried and never been really been broken; but God gave us emotion. God feels joy, hatred, and sorrow.

Why shouldn't we spend our greatest emotions on Him? God is perfect, holy, merciful, wrathful, creative, infinite. If reading those words doesn't fill you with awe, then shouldn't SOMETHING? God deserves our speechlessness, and what better way to get there than with art.

The Depth of Ugolino's Damnation

The story of Ugolino and his children disturbed me more than any other instance of the Inferno. As I heard the voices of the children crying out to their father, I thought about another Voice that I have studied for my entire life, and the words of His cries....

"In their faces, the image of my own..."
"Behold, the Lamb of God..."

"Father, why don't you help me?"
"My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?"

"Our pain will lessen if you eat us..."
"Whoever eats of My flesh will have eternal life..."

Ugolino's sin may have been deeper than his tyrranical soul. He did not see the true message of his children's words. By rejection them, he rejected the one who alone could save his soul. By turning away from his children, then eating his sons, Ugolino secured his damnation...but could have been in Paradise if he had accepted the flesh of Son of God.

C.S. Lewis Goes to Hell

So, just as Dante took a trip to hell, so did C.S. Lewis in The Great Divorce. He may have even copied the idea from Dante seeing as how he studied medieval literature, including The Divine Comedy. However, their accounts are nothing alike. Dante's is all fire, pain, punishment, and misery. Lewis' is all dullness, mediocrioty, and misery. And if I remember correctly, purgatory and hell are the same place. It is only purgatory for the people who will eventually make it to heaven, but hell for those who will not. Dante's hell people merit it by works of evil, Lewis' hell people have merited it by denying the grace of God. The most interesting thing I find in The Great Divorce is that hell is infinitely small, being said to be contained in an atom of the Real World. And in the Real World, those of hell, or of purgatory realize that they are phantoms, and not solid, but they only realize this with comparison to the Real World. The people there are extremely solid looking, the rain hits the phantoms like bullets, and the flowers can't be picked by them because they are so strong. But I do not think either of them actually believe their depicitons as reality. They both go against scripture and/or add to scripture. I do not think they were meant to be believed in that kind of sense, only to spell out some kind of theological belief that only literature is able to. (Correct me if I'm wrong. It's been a while since I read Lewis.)

Augustine, Peer Pressure, and Why You Should Probably Drop Out Of School

Augustine was an interesting character. I have read his confessions and was pleasantly surprised by the insight of his words. My favorite story was perhaps the story of the pear trees. In the story, If you don’t know, Augustine, with a group of friends who were not of the reputable sort, went to a persons house, and stole as many pears as they could carry, off the tree.  Then he and his friends proceeded to eat the pears and what they couldn’t eat, they threw away to pigs.

Augustine himself talks about this in a way that I think all of us could learn something from. He talks about how he probably would not have done this, had he not been with his friends. A common thought and tone on many things now a days. Peer pressure. It seems as if the entire world of sin runs off peer pressure. But, it is a truly terrifying thought, that a gang of people can nearly control the mind of singular individuals. It’s not fair. But the fact that man can be swayed so easily is a reason to try to counter those effects. Rational thinking and debates could help, probably.

Another thought is the fact that doing something one knows is wrong is kind of like transference. Where you think what you are doing is less bad because more people do it. Making the percentage seem not so bad. Or the thought that you weren’t the mastermind of the operation, or you didn’t go as far or you did less than someone else. All of these things could stem from peer pressure and being in a crowd of people.

I guess what I’m saying here is, you’re better off alone. Being by yourself will keep you out of trouble. Isolate yourself from society, drop out of college, become a hermit in a mountain somewhere were you can’t hurt anyone. I think that would be the best place for everyone, because, hey, we aren’t hurting anyone. Or are we?

The Canto XVI: This is what I remember, though it may not be all there

Today in class, we discussed Canto XVI. We broke up to discuss it you know. I thought I would just put down what we talked about tonight. Canto 16(for that’s easier than XVI) is the canto about what happens to those who commit the sin of Sodomy, which I do not want to explain here. In this Canto, they can never stop wondering and moving, like they had to in the in the 15^th canto, and if they do, they cannot move for 100 years which in a time of agony through burning and torture. We discussed one of the reasons they move is so that when they begin to burn and catch fire, they can move and pat themselves out.

This punishment is probably so they can’t stop and think about the act of sodomy, which was probably what got them into the problem in the first place. We decided that the place that they are in, the vast, hot, empty desert, could be a parallel to the fact that Sodomy will not give you offspring as will a relationship In the way that God meant for sex to be. The fact that they have to circle in a wheel to do or say anything we also attributed to this, in the fact that a circle always comes back to the same point.

While not the most agilely written thoughts or thesis, though, to tell the truth, I forgot a lot of what we said. Especially about Dante’s teacher who was down there, whom we also believe to be a pedophile. But what’s a blog if it really makes sense all the time?

Hell: One reader's prespective on who wasn't there and should have been...

I apologize for my lack of philosophical thoughts into the life of the books we read for class, first and foremost. I've read some pretty awesome insightful things written by my fellow classmates that definitely puts my blogs to shame...

but what can I say, it was how I was hardwired by the Great Creator himself.

Anyways, so I'm eating vanilla ice cream and reading over Cantos 32-34 of the Inferno [again, for like the 8th billion time.. it's an eerie picture that I like to recount, down in the ice depths of Cocytus and Judecca] and I came across another reference to a character of medieval English romance, a personal favorite of mine, that of the insufferable Mordred, who is in the level of the ninth circle reserved for those who betray their kin, a sin worthy of the 9th level in medieval times. Mordred, as you may remember, mortally wounded King Arthur in their legendary battle of Camlenn after Mordred is revealed as a traitor--and his son. However, I think that Dante may have forgotton to put someone else into Hell with Mordred... the heroic King Arthur himself.

Before any Arthurians out there keel over, let me say that I'm an Arthur-lover as well but he did some pretty stupid things that should have earned him a place in Hell, like murder, lust, lying, rape, and incest...

wait, what? Incest? Yes sir. Some legends say that Mordred came into being as Arthur rapes his sister Morgause because he is overcome by his lust for her and from that union, Mordred is born and a prophecy is out forth. Rape and lust are two circles of Hell, yes? Personally I find that incest is a sin against nature, just like sodomy yet do we see Arthur in any of the circles for sin against nature? Sure, he is a legend but if Lancelot and Guinevere are able to be mentioned as a reason that Paolo and Francesca had an affair then Arthur should be entertained by the hot, barren desert and flames of the sodomites and the pedophiles of Canto 15-16. It's his fault that poor Mordred is lodged up to his neck in ice for running him through and all that happened to King Arthur was that he was taken to Avalon to live out his days until Britain needs him again.

Dante picked a good man for the 9th circle but maybe he should have also looked into Mordred's background to see who else should have gotten a free trip to hell.

Can we really call this "art"?

What is the point of art nowadays? Byzantine art has so much meaning and imagery involved in the pieces of art, with many pointing to religious symbolism. What is the motivation for art done today? What message is behind art? Is there one? With images of splattered paint and childlike paintings, it is hard to see much substance behind some works of art.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp6CPwvxock&feature=channel_page

This video is a short clip of a modern artist. His name is Jeff Koons. Throughout this video, numerous people mention the aspect of “religion” in art. But to most, the idea of “religious” background in his art is almost ridiculous. One guy at the end says that Koons has taken “religious” symbols and made them into something very materialistic. Is this where we are at now? Are we taking heavenly symbols, making them into Hallmark cards, and calling them works of art? Where is the spiritual background? I realize that this man does not represent all modern artists, and I am sure there were those that did not put Christian aspects in the art during the Byzantine period. I also do not believe that all things must be “religious” for it to be good. When is there going to be a deeper substance in art? When is there going to be a second Byzantine period?

the value of old books

I went to this book store the other day called The Haunted Book Loft. It was this wonderful little book store downtown that sold used books. I started thinking what is so great about having and old used book. I think it is the fact that someone else has experienced it before. You are not the first, many people have picked up this same book and delved into its secrets.  You could tell which books were most popular by how many copies they had. It seemed older books were more common in this shop. That got me thinking, why read older books? what can they teach us about today? I know that seems like a silly question but there are hundreds of new books that come out that maybe you dont ever need to pick up Dickens, Austen, Dante, Shakespeare, or Aristotle. To me though, that if you look at books of the past and books today there are big differences. Now I am not saying that there are not exceptions but for the most part, in my opinion, most of the books famous today lack the depth and intelligent writing of the past. I dont think Dante was worried about being politically correct or Austen wondered how much money she could make with her next book. Writing seems to have changed somehow. 

But in talking about what we can learn from this older books, you have to actually read them . You cant watch  a movie or read spark-notes. and yes i know I have personally done both to avoid reading a book. We just finished up Dante in class and I was desperately trying to figure out how i could learn from it. Not just learning about his poetic descriptions of hell or learning about the late medieval culture in Italy. Those are important features to Dante but there is something more, something deeper. I haven't quite figured out all of what it is. I'm learning about how sin can become something that, to the sinner is not evil but  just a part of their life. The evil that the sinner did on earth was part of who they were, the sin reached their souls and made them different men. It is interesting to turn it back around on yourself and think about who you are and what defines you. Is that what Dante wanted? For you to reflect on yourself? Did he want late medieval people to realize where they were headed. Or can you just read it as this exciting adventure of a man on a journey to hell? would it be wrong to take the story so literally? 

Reading literature from another time and place makes you a broader person. Of course you are coming at the text with a contemporary mind set, which can sometimes get in the way of you as a reader trying to understand exactly what the author means. But your contemporary mind set can bring and interesting perspective to the table. What i mean is, you can relate to the earliest of texts if you come to it with an open mind wanting to learn. Which i think is the attitude we should all have toward literature. Its not something simply to try to hurry and finish but something to relish and appreciate. 

Since the class is going to build a trebuchet i thought it would be pretty cool to find some pictures and videos on the subject. Trebuchets are not exactly the kind of catapolts we are used to seeing. It is a catapolt and is one of the youngest. The trebuchet was used first in the second century AD by the Chinese. They became improved by the French and were very popular during the Medieval Ages. Trebuchets were used for castle seiges and were placed far away so that they could not be attacked by archers. They were not like other catapolts which used wound strings to launch projectiles. Tribuchets have a large weight on them that by using gravity launches a projectile. By using gravity they can launch pretty much anything. They are also able to move to any position to attack a weak spot on castle walls or even launch projectiles over and into castle walls.

America: An Unrecognizable Pot

I’ve been glancing back over blogs from the beginning of the semester and have come across many videos and slide shows of renaissance Fairs. Why is it that this period of time complete with chamber pots and the bubonic plague inspire reenactments? Why is it that the medieval times are romanticized with chivalrous knights and damsels in distress and peasantry, torture, and starvation are completely ignored?

I’m not sure, but I myself have attended renaissance fairs and thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in a different society. I also find it interesting the renaissance fairs are purely an American creation. Its is almost as if Americans see the need to borrow history and culture because we are such a young country and an almost culture less people. Americans have their own melting pot of cultures, unfortunately because there are so many of them meaning and tradition tend to get lost or become forced. I myself am part Irish, Italian, and Native American. I have no firm roots in any of those cultures. What I do have is a yearning for roots. I want nothing more than to travel to Italy to discover something other than a watered down version of a culture and tradition.

The Use of Icons

I have been raised Southern Baptist complete with organ, hymns, and tented revivals, but one thing we did not have was a very ornate building. Our walls were always pretty much bare and we had a wooden cross up front until a couple of years ago when my home church decided to install stained glass windows. I loved them instantly. I thought they belonged there and wondered why we had waited so long to add them to our sanctuary.

Icons were small portraits of Christ, Mary, or the saints that could be transported easily. They were destroyed under the rule of Leo III due to their abuse and the fear that they were being turned into idols. Later the fear that things would be turned into idols caused churches to strip any type of image from churches.

I believe moderation is the key here. Giving your church some embellishments in decoration can be used to set the atmosphere of the sanctuary to be more reverent. It can set the tone. Also the creation of these decorations can be a spiritual experience for the artist and the viewer. Its when specific attention is called to these things as an essential part of worship that it can become dangerous. Worship is not dependent upon these things it can merely enhance the process and keep parishioners focused.

True Love the Harbinger of Death?

So in honor of the fake holiday we recently celebrated, aka Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to blog about love. I never understood the fuss that people made about love until I fell in love myself. It seemed like a rather irrational enterprise that robbed people of their common sense and plunged them off cliffs in fits of desperation. But for some reason the tragic endings of famous couples are celebrated with soft sighs of and the consensus that it could end no other way. A love destined to die. Surely these extreme reactions come from people with addled brains.

We meet Francesca and Paulo in the early levels of hell where other people who have died for love reside (most of them seem to be women…coincidence?). The two lovers were seduced by reading together and were eventually killed by Francesca’s husband. Cleopatra and Dido are also mentioned in this level. Are these celebrated love stories even a reflection of love? Love is meant to be the food of life and yet it is so often the destroyer in these cases.

Can these even be called love when all they hail is death? It makes you wonder if we are celebrating the ultimate form of selfishness and an act of thievery.

These are not examples of love. These are examples of love gone awry. Love is a type of transcendence it should make you want to be a better person in all aspects of your life, to raise you up in a sense. It should not make you want to throw reason out the window and forget about everything that was important to you before (ex. your family and friends) if anything romantic love should also make you appreciate those things more. Love is about sharing not taking.

People have the idea that Faith and Reason are at odds, but love and reason are also painted as polar opposites by our society. Don't think with your head this is a matter of the heart. What do you feel? That is ridiculous! I'm not going to pretend that love doesn't get your reason a bit muddled sometimes, but that is no basis for throwing intelligent thought out the window. True love should enhance things not tear things down, not ruin lives.

Disclaimer: I am not immune to girly fits of romantic euphoria when watching or reading these tragic love stories, I just believe people should not hang their hats on a 'love' like that.

Pity for the Sinners=Wrong

One of the things that bugged me most about Dante was the fact that part of his problem was that he was too compassionate. He pitied the people in hell and that was just not acceptable and I couldn’t understand why that was such a horrible thing. Its easy to hate the blackest of sinners and condemn them for what they have done, but there is nothing wrong with seeing what a waste it all was or feeling sorry for their predicament. You are not saying that they don’t deserve what they got just that you are sorry that hey are spending their days in such an awful place. They are in hell for eternity and they deserve it yes, but why does it matter so much if you feel for their lot.

Virgil also struggled with is emotions in hell and we explained them away in class by saying that he still struggled with his pity which was part of the reason he was in limbo. So in order to go to heaven you have to have a heart of stone for the people that screwed up where you got it right?

When bad things happen and you have a plan and a set of actions, something to give yourself purpose then you can soldier through. However there is nothing worse than knowing something horrible has happened or is about to happen and you can do nothing. Its that overwhelming feeling of helplessness and uselessness that is crippling. Maybe when Dante is traveling through hell and is faced with the horribleness of human nature he pities them as his only option. In reality this is a horrible situation over which he has no control so in order for his human mind to not run in circles he pities them and in an active way he is not longer standing uselessly at Virgil’ side.

Lets take a war scenario…You are fighting against a horrible foe. This is a country who is smaller than you militarily, but they have been doing some awful things and aggravating your much stronger country so you turn around to crush them. Feeling sorry for your enemy does not make you a traitor to your country. Realizing that these people got themselves in over their heads and that you are about to completely wipe them out you may have compassion. I’m not saying you drop your sword and refuse to fight, but you realize what these people could have been and you pity the ignorance and stubbornness that brought them to this point.

I’m going to stop now because I’m rambling, but you get my point.

Icons: Bridging Cultures

So once again I find myself behind on blogs... so here is the first of a few that I must do.

Going waaaaay back to when Dr. B was here and we were discussing icons, I found myself beinf pushed back a semester into my 9:30 AM Russian History class, taught by the lovely and really awesome Dr. Khokhlova. Icons were a HUGE part of the Russian religion order since the birth of Christianity there in the last 10th century. Now granted, Russian Orthodox is a tad bit different from our side of the spectrum but in the end we're all serving the same God right?

Anyways, back to the issue at hand:

Icons, as we learned, were created in the time of the Byzantine Empire.. so how did they end up in Russia? Intermarriage between royal families brought not only Christianity but the icons as well and so would start a trend that I'm sure lasts to this day. The Russian people viewed them as their personal ways to heaven and to God, by being able to pray to the image of their saint.. kind of like a message carrier in way. Some people may think that icons are sacriligious and indeed the iconclasts vowed for destroying them but if one thinks about it, icons could never be outlawed, could never be destroyed completely... an entire civilzation would have collapsed at its already fragile feet.

It was a very vital part if every day life, even when the last Romanov emperor was ruling, before the Communist take-over. Empress Alexandra used to pray to an icon when praying for her son, little Alexei who was a hemophiliac. Every Russian, even down to the poorest peasent most likely had an icon of some saint to pray to, in hopes that their prayers would reach heaven. Are the Russians wrong in praying to an image? Jesus died on the cross so we wouldn't have to have a go-between to intercede on our behalf, we could go straight to the source yet icons remained and became a vital part of so many cultures.

Maybe it is like the monarchy in England.. it's been such a tradition and such a stable thing that to take it away would maim the very existance of the lives that surround it.

I for one think icons are very beautiful and are a special part of Orthodox churches. I shudder to think of what would have happened had the iconoclasts succeded fully and had these beautiful works of art vanquished from the face of the earth forever

Who knew: Mardi Gras and the Romans!

Since this Tuesday is Fat Tuesday, I figured some Mardi Gras history would be fun. When Rome embraced Christianity, they decided to embrace some pagan traditions instead of abolishing them all. One of the traditions was a circus-like festival called Lupercalia. The Roman Christians put a “Christian twist” to this festival by making it into a time of feasting and fun before the Lenten Period. This celebration eventually spread to many other nations, and then came to America in 1699. It is now called Mardi Gras because that literally translates into Fat Tuesday, which is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This Wednesday begins Lent. So Fat Tuesday is for feasting because the next day is for fasting. Here is a link for the full history of it: http://www.novareinna.com/festive/mardi.html.

Philosophy of Thomas Aquinas

Here is a quick, comical, overview  of Thomas Aquinas and his philosophy. You could almost call it "Thomas Aquinas for dummies" Check it out, you might get a laugh from it. 

Summa Theologica

Here is a website I found that has the Summa Theologica translated by the Fathers of the English Dominican Provice. It has links of the book that are divided by the questions in the Summa Theologica; if you click on the links it shows Thomas Aquinas's answers to all of the questions. Some of them are very interesting and I think it is definitely worth checking out. Enjoy!

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/aquinas/summa/index.htm

Saint Thomas of Aquinas' view of women

The presentation we had last Thursday was amazing. It was wonderful to see how can the speaker explained to us the life and believes of Saint Thomas of Aquinas in such a dynamic way. The last part was the most interesting for me; when she started to talk about what did Saint Thomas believed about abortion and women. Therefore I decided to make some more research about it, and this is what I found:
Saint Thomas did not have enough information about the difference between men and women. The Greco-Roman view of procreation stated that just one sex which had two forms existed. So, what created the main difference between men and women was the heat or “vital spirit”. Saint Thomas believed that men, who had enough heat for producing another being, implanted their seeds in their partner’s womb and if the heat was sufficient, a male will be produced. However, if there was a lack of heat, a female will be produced. So basically, a woman is born because the fetus could not be a full man. He stated: "A female is deficient and unintentionally caused. For the active power of the semen always seeks to produce a thing completely like itself, something male. So if a female is produced, this must be because the semen is weak or because the material [provided by the mother] is unsuitable, or because of the action of some external factor such as the winds from the south which make the atmosphere humid" (St. Th. I, q. 92, 1, 1) "Thomas saw woman’s deficiency confirmed in her inferior intellectual powers. Living in a state of subjection to man, woman is not fully and image of God, as every man is." (Wijngaards, p20)

Phenomenal

Wow. I am still just reveling in the wonderment of the presentation I heard on Thursday. It was a refreshing experience. It takes something meaningful from a speaker to wow me, especially when it comes to sensitive issues such as politics, abortion, the American family, and Christian worldview. I was thoroughly impressed by her knowledge and intelligence. She skillfully presented her topic in a thoughtful manner, and yet still took time to point out its practical application.

When I am a teacher, I want to possess the same characteristics I observed this past Thursday. When passion, dedication, preparation, effective communication, and intelligence come together, learning always results. Learning is the goal of the education experience; without learning, we do not grow. However, we must grow in the right direction, according to God’s specific plan for our lives. Therefore, learning in light of Him will always be successful learning.

Our guest speaker did a marvelous job of bringing together the academic and the practical. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a Christian wanting to be a scholarly, intelligent individual who enjoys studying ancient texts and pondering ideas. As our speaker pointed out, WE SHOULD BE THAT WAY! Christians should not be afraid to have a profession in the world. It is remembering Whose you are when in that position of life that will make a difference for the world. Shining His light, and rightly dividing the Word of Truth – this is our calling and we will do it in an intelligent way. Men will see our good works and will glorify our Father. Ah, I only wish there were more people in this nation as eloquent in their profession and faith as was our presenter last Thursday.

What if Saint Thomas Aquinas were president?

Well, unless you have been living under a rock for the past month, you know that our nation has a new president. On January 20th, we welcomed our forty-fourth president, Barack Hussein Obama. Now, I for one can say that I hate politics. I never really get in to it, nor was I a fan of either presidential candidate. However, I have always been very interested in the abortion platform. Before I even considered who I was going to vote for, I researched their views on abortion. I am a devout member of the pro-life stand. I believe that once a child is conceived, they are in fact a human being and, according to our Constitution, are, "endowed by their Creator, with certain rights- of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
So, after our lecture on Thursday, I started to do a little research. I was trying to follow-up on what our guest speaker was saying about Saint Aquinas' view on abortion. She had stated, that many people mis-interpret his beliefs. While I was trying to research Aquinas' views, I found an interesting article. The quote you will find below was found at http://www.lifenews.com/nat4463.html.

Obama’s record is beyond “fierce.” Not only has Obama dared to support the right to a partial-birth abortion, but in the Illinois state Senate, Obama fought against a Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, designed to offer legal protections to a child who survived an abortion attempt. In one debate in 2002, in a great spasm of ideological ardor, he argued it was acceptable for babies to be killed after they’d exited the womb, since trying to keep this tiny survivor alive “would just burden the original decision of the mother to abort the child."

This is the same Senator Obama that declared in April that he wouldn’t want his daughters to be “punished with a baby” for having premarital sex without contraceptives.

Ladies and gentleman, this is who we elected as our new president. If your stomach didn't cringe when you read that, then please feel free to comment. Like I said before, I normally don't get into debating over presidential candidates. However, this quote really took a punch at my stomach. If Saint Aquinas were still around, what would he say about this?

Courage Leads to Fortitude

Until yesterday, I have always been taught that the four cardinal virtues were justice, prudence, temperance, and courage. However, our guest speaker had a slightly different wording, which makes a huge difference in the way I look at the virtues. She replaced courage with fortitude. At first, this threw me for a loop. I was thinking, "Don't the two words mean the same thing?". However, after doing a little reading, I discovered that courage and fortitude are two different words with totally different approaches. According to the New Webster's Dictionary, courage is defined as being bold, brave, heroic, and fearless. It is an action. A person must choose to exercise courage. On the other hand, the New Webster's Dictionary defines fortitude as a firmness of mind to encounter danger or to bear pain or adversity; resolute endurance. Fortitude is a mindset. A person who possesses fortitude doesn't have to think about whether or not to fight; it comes natural.
As with all virtues, fortitude is attained through consistant practice. I think, in a sense, that courage is the outward proof of fortitude. However, fortitude is constant, while courage may not always be. If a person wishes to obtain fortitude, he or she must first begin by practicing the action of courage, no matter the circumstances. Out of this will grow the desired virtue of fortitude that will remain constant and fighting for what is right will become natural to that person.

Last Supper of the HLC

Last Supper of the HLC
Originally uploaded by 1DeadMule

The Non-Contradictory Source of Contradiction

We, as human beings, are derived from the nature of a purely non-contradictory being. He is the unmovable mover, the uncaused cause, the uncreated one, “through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made” (John 1:3). Thomas Aquinas expressed this truth in many different fashions, the most prominent of which being the Principle of Non-Contradiction. So if God, in essence, cannot contradict his nature, then from where do we encounter the source of contradiction?

Just as good is to evil, light is to darkness and knowledge is to ignorance, the latter is not necessarily a direct contradiction but a nagging lack of the former. Contradiction does not come directly from God, but is derived from the lack of God – the lack of perfection that causes contradiction. Since we are beings created in the image of a non-contradictory nature, we can logically surmise that our triune beings (body, soul, spirit) should be working in harmony, symbiotically together for a common purpose. Whether we admit it or not, we are all in pursuit of the person of perfection. So why do we claim that our reason contradicts our faith?

Our faith and our reason both come from the nature of God, and in Him they abide in perfect harmony. Though our reason says that there cannot be a God, or even that God is not good, these conclusions are not drawn by a lack of logic, but rather of a lack of faith. Faith without reason can also be ignorance, so we must instead place our reason in service of our faith, that we may attain the knowledge that is attainable by reason and the faith necessary to understand the great mystery of God. As Aquinas said, “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” It is the perfect wedding of faith and reason that leads us into the non-contradictory nature of God. And we must never divorce the two. 

St. Thomas Aquinas gave this argument for the Unmoved Mover:  1)Some things are moved. 2)Everything that is moving is moved by a mover. 3)An infinite regress of movers is impossible. 4)Therefore, there is an unmoved mover from whom all motion proceeds. 5)The mover is what we call God.

The logic of this is simple, yet profound.  Many modern day believers for one do not know what they believe, or the people of faith they associate themselves with believe.  This is a problem.  Whether you are right in what you believe or not, you should know what just what it is you believe, and why you believe it.  I believe the worst mistake a human breathing air on this earth could make, is to think they have something they most certainly do not.  The thought of someone not knowing what they believe, or if they truly believe it, is horrendous.  We must, whether correct or not, know what we believe.  Be informed, and prepared mentally and spiritually.

Hollywood's misrepresentation of Colombia

Today we started the class with Jeremy's video which conducted us to a discussion about how Hollywood is sometimes showing a misrepresentation of different bible passages, historical events, or books. Well, Hollywood has a big influence in people's minds, what you see and hear you will remember easily. This has its pros and cons; it is good when the knowledge that you are gaining is true, but it is bad when you are getting false views about things.
I think I have a very good example of this. I am from Colombia and not only Hollywood but the news have made people get the wrong image of my country. I have talked to some people and invited them to visit my country but what they answer is “no, I can not go because as soon as I get out of the plane I am going to get kidnapped.” Well that is the result of those movies that just show that Colombia is a country of drugs, violence, and guerrilla. So, I found a video that shows the two different views, what people think about my country and what it really is. I hope you like it, and see the real Colombia.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgW8Y7F8DN8&feature=related

What Now?

After looking at Dante's Inferno, I have to ask myself, "what if I were to visit hades?"  What would I think?  Who would I see?  Who would I not see?  What would my feelings be?  Shock?  Awe?  Sadness?  Stoicism?  What would the depths of my soul be crying?  When I first set eyes on the people in that horrid place, would I know that I did not my part to honor my Master?

I have to think that shame may be added to the long list of proposed feelings?  I had a close friend tell me about one of his discussions with a professing atheist.  This atheist said, "How much do you have to HATE someone if you know the way to heaven, and believe it with everything you have, and would not tell a person of different beliefs, or just lacking of any at all?"  This statement blew me away.  If I really believe that Jesus is the Way to Heaven, and relationship with the Father, then why would I not tell every soul I see.   If hell is real, then why would I allow anyone to go there without me sharing with them.  Am I too proud to let someone who does not know the Way be ill-informed about the way to eternal life.  Are we believers honoring the great commission:  Mark 16:15 "Go into all the world and  preach the gospel."  

The Geography of The Inferno

I'm a visual learner; these maps really helped me put the Inferno into perspective.

Clueless

When finishing up Inferno, one thing in Dante's Hell stuck out in my mind as being more terrifying than anything else. There's the tortures, the demons, the horrible environment, but the most soul-crushing aspect of Hell, is that most of the people don't even know why they are there. They are damned to spend an eternity in godforsaken agony trying to justify their earthly actions. Whether they're speared to their adulterous lover, being burned for a century, or cast down into the disgusting muck, they all are completely clueless as to why they've been sent there.

That is truly Hell.

Dante's Prejudice

At first, when the class was discussing Dante and Ulysses, I thought Ulysses got what he deserved, but after further thought, Dante’s prejudice against Ulysses became more evident. It would make sense for Ulysses to be in Dante’s hell because he did things in life that were worth punishment. Dante, however, could have put Ulysses in his hell because Ulysses died a natural death later on in his life, but instead, Dante chose to kill Ulysses in order to put him in hell. Dante obviously felt some animosity towards Ulysses, the question that we do not know the answer to is “Why?” Also, I found an article that poses three important facts about the punishment that Dante chose for Ulysses. The article can be found at http://www.jstor.org/pss/477002 . Professor Stanford believes that Dante did not punish Ulysses for his last search. I think that the strongest argument for his theory is his number two reason: Ulysses was punished with Diomedes who had nothing to do with the last voyage. This theory raises more questions. If Ulysses punishment was not intended to be for the last voyage, then what was his punishment for? Why did Dante kill Ulysses? We can only speculate the answers to these questions, unless someday we meet Dante.

Fun with Clay?

i've never been much for clay animations, but this is pretty incredible. its an animation of the inferno, up til around canto XXXI. i found it pretty entertaining.

Why the Forced Ignorance?

I find it interesting that Dante so thoroughly describes the levels, boundaries, and landscapes of Hell, yet we, as Christians find very little information in the Word of God regarding the actual setup of this horrid place. I have to admit, I have enjoyed reading The Inferno of Dante, simply for the detail and specific settings described. Although the story is very dark and the mood very grim, Dante does an excellent job with creating evocative dialogue and complex scenery. Why is it that the Bible does not describe Hell as thoroughly as it does Heaven? Are there any physical similarities at all between the two? Would it have been better to have a more complete description of Hell in God’s word? Would that have had more of an effect on whoever is reading it (Believer or non-believer)? These are the questions roaming through my mind and although I am grateful and accepting of the contents in the Bible, I still cannot completely quell the curiosity towards those things in this life and the Spiritual realm hereafter, and the fact that not all things are explained. God chose to remain “silent” in some matters and I believe it is for our own good. I wonder if the human mind could even handle the reality of either a place: Heaven or Hell?! Such knowledge may cripple the motivation or boggle the mind of a mere mortal, living and breathing in this present-day world…

Dante Really Doesn't Take the Escalator Down into Hell

People's perceptions of hell over the centuries have been influenced by art literature, and even Hollywood. They have imagined every kind of place for eternal punishment ranging from the surrel 15th century paintings by Hieronymous Bosch to Bugs Bunny cartoons depicting Yosemity Sam in a red suit and horns carrying a pitchfork around a place where the escalator goes down to a fiery basement. But what does the Bible say about hell, and how does Dante's Inferno correlate with what it says?
Dante clearly borrows much of his imagery in the Inferno from Biblical illistrations. He and Virgil are described as descending into hell, and he speaks of darkness and how several of the punishments involve intense heat like the boiling pitch in Canto twenty-one, the fire raining down on the desert plain in Canto fourteen, and the burning feet in Canto nineteen. Dante makes it clear that the unrightous sinners are suffering and that they are fully conscious of what is happening to them and what they did in the past (save for those who can only think of the future). There is weeping, anguish, and "gnashing of teeth" even to the point of chewing on each other, and the demons mentioned are hideous and cruel. However, there are some differences from the Bible, probably because the Inferno is literature and Dante wanted to be descriptive and maintain the theme of divine retribution. Not all of the punishments in the Inferno are assosciated with fire and burning and others even involve ice. Though some people may use the expression "cold as hell," the Bible makes no mention of ice ever being a part of hell. Dante uses the concept of divine retribution, where the punishment suits the sins committed. There is no specific mention of this in the Bible. Although it does say in Revelation 20:11-12 that the lost will be judged by their deeds, it only says that those whose names are not recorded in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire to be tormented for eternity. This means that the nice person who rejects Christ will be suffering just as terribly as the most notorious sinners.
The Bible makes it clear that there is a place called hell and that it is a place made for Satan and his demons (Revelation 12:3-4). Isaiah 14:9-15, 2 Peter 2:4, and Jude 6 describe how Lucifer and the angels who rebelled with him were cast into a place called hell. Hell is described as being a place that is down from the earth's surface and is like a pit (Revelation 9:1). It is hot like a furnace and has smoke pouring out of it (Revelation 9:2). Peter refers to it as "tartaroo," which is a Greek word for a place where demons live and await their judgment. Jesus speaks quite a bit about hell. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells that the ungodly will be cast into the fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. His description of hell, or Gehenna, where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies (Mark 9:43-48) is similar to the Valley of Hinnom. Child sacrifices to the fire-god Molech were offered in this valley, and in Jesus' time it was the burning dump were garbage, dead animals, and executed criminals were tossed. He also tells the story of the poor man and rich man in Luke 16. The poor believer ends up in heaven, but the rich man who rejected God burns in torment and is aware that he has himself to blame. Hell is clearly a terrible place that could be avoided if people would only yield their wills over to Christ and ask for forgiveness of their sins.
If one of the purposes of the Inferno was to present hell as the unfathomably horrible place that it must be, then Dante did an excellent job. It is sad to think that many college students will study the Inferno and yet never admit that this place of punishment is where they will spend eternity if they never turn from the path they are on as Beatrice begged Dante to do.

Death, Torture, and Criminal Punishment Ordained By God?

As we dive into the depths of Hell with Dante, is there any questions that torture is alright? Perhaps one might answer that “It is not torture, it is punishment,” or one might say that while it may be torture, it is just and good. Punishment or torture each person in Hell suffers one way or another. One man in Canto XXIII is stretched out across a pathway to be trampled on for eternity. The former Popes are burned forever crammed inside of wholes. These men are suffering no doubt. It may even be no coincidence that the Roman Catholic Church developed many torture machines over the Middle Ages, especially in the inquisitions against heresies. The Catholic church it was their duty to convert people to their religion by any means necessary and punish those who refused. Soon torture devices were even made to fit the crime such as a Heretic’s Fork that was shoved in both the chest and mouth of the convicted heretic.
Torture is still an issue that is debated today. One form of torturing that is in current question is water boarding. A man is tied down with leather straps to a long board. The board is tilted at about 60 degrees with the tormented’s head facing downward. The suspect is also blindfolded, and finally water is poured down his body creating a drowning sensation. With the recent closing of Guatanamo Bay by President Obama, this issue is as relevant as ever. Some may have the response that if they hear no evil, see no evil, know no evil as long as their country is kept safe. I do know that once you learn about these things you can never go back to darkness. The knowledge of torture just might torture you.

Where are the non believers?

As we have been reading The Inferno and the different levels of Hell, each level and its punishment had to do with how the punishment fit the crime. Through out each and every circle of Hell, certain people are punished for 'doing' something. There are people who range from popes, priests, teachers, poets, lovers and so on. Through out the levels of Hell there are all these kinds of people and the punishments for there certain actions. However, why is the level for and the people who do not know God and did not have a relationship with him mentioned? I do not know why and the reason for Dante in not putting them in the lower circles of Hell. Maybe it could be his religious perspectives and views. In the Bible, Hell is mentioned as a lake of fire were there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth and no hope what so ever. The wages of sin is death not some place in Limbo where nothing happens to you and there is no punishment for your sins. Anyhow, i just thought that was significant and important to bring up. If anyone would feel free to add to that or whatever, please do so

Connection of Sin and Fire in New Testament

Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire.

James 3:4-6
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Romans 1:27
In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Ulysses and Diomedes in the eighth circle of the Inferno

The last day of class my group was talking about Ulysses and Diomedes. So, I decided to research something else about it, and I found an article written by Jorge Luis Borges, a famous Argentinean writer. The main purpose of his article “El ultimo Viaje de Ulises” is to analyze why Ulysses is in this circle of fraudulent souls and what similarities can be found between Ulysses and Dante.
Well he explained that Ulysses was a thirsty human who was never fulfilled. After being Circe’s prisoner for more than a year, and facing tough adventures and problems to get home, including especially having to fight against Poseidon’s will, what he found at home did not really fulfill him. He had the love of his wife Penelope, his son Telemachos, his father Laertes, and the respect of all who knew his story. But that was not enough for him; his soul was still thirsty. He wanted to understand the whole world as well as the human’s defects and virtues. Therefore, he decided to get his last ship and with the company of some of his fellows, including Diomedes, they sail to open sea searching for new answers. After meeting with Hercules and watching all the stars in the Austral hemisphere, a terrible storm made their ship turn three times, and in the fourth one the ship sank. Since that day, Ulysses and Diomedes have been in the eighth circle of the Inferno.
So, there are several similarities between Ulysses and Dante that will make some people ask if they should belong to the same circle. Both of them have been in a constant search of human’s nature, they like to step places where no one else has been before. They have high and remotes goals. Ulysses made various trips searching for knowledge, and Dante has made a trip to the Inferno. However, Ulysses loved risks and prohibited adventures; Dante lets higher forces guide him. Therefore Dante does not belong to Ulysses circle.
Maybe we can say that Ulysses and Diomedes symbolize all the conquerors of America, people who sail from Europe some hundreds of years ago and discover America, starting from Eric the Red, to Christopher Columbus.

Any Office fans out there?

So I do not know how many of you guys are fans of NBC's The Office. I am a fan. I think it is great! I think one of the best parts about it are the characters. One of the great characters is the one and only Michael Scott. For all of you losers who do not watch The Office (okay okay... you guys are not losers... just really lame. Just kidding!!!) Michael Scott is the ridiculous character boss of the paper company Dunder Mifflin. He considers himself quite the entertainer. He is constantly quoting comedians at inappropriate times and just saying plain inappropriate things. If you have heard that "that's what she said" joke, Michael Scott is the master of that joke. But being the "entertainer" that he is, Michael went to magic camp to learn how to be a magician. There is one episode in particular that he tries to perform a magic trip, but he fails miserably. I wanted to be able to post it, but I could not. If anyone is interested, it is the in the third season of The Office in I think the eighteenth episode called Cocktails. I think. But I could be mistaken. I did find something on youtube that sort of gives a little glimpse into the character of Michael Scott. Here's the link:

So you are all probably wondering what is the point of all of this. What does The Office have to do with anything that we have read so far? Well, I do not know if anyone else caught this, but one of the men that Dante meets in one of the levels of hell in The Inferno is a man named Michael Scott. I immediately thought of The Office when I read that. Ironically, or not, he is in the fourth pouch of the eighth circle of hell where the astrologers, diviners, and magicians are. Yes, MAGICIANS!!! To quote The Inferno,
"That other with the skinny flank is Michael Scott,
Who truly knew the game of magic fraud."
It makes me wonder if they planned that. It would be pretty weird if they did. But it is awesome nevertheless!!!
I think it is very interesting how Dante attributes punishments that fit the crime or sin committed. In this level, these people who had used magic, sorcery, and witchcraft to see the future where doomed to be looking backwards forever. Their heads and necks were twisted backwards so they can never again see what is in front of them. It really makes me think about what I do. What if everything we did had that same kind of consequence? I mean it would be a little ridiculous if you saw people with their heads turned around backwards or people caught on fire. But would we maybe think a little more before we sinned against the Almighty God? I know it is not like that, and I am glad for it. But it is just an interesting thought.

P.S. If you do not watch The Office or do not like it, I really do not think you are a loser or lame. I was seriously just kidding. I do really like it though!

Ramblings

I just finished the Inferno, and even knowing what was coming I have to admit that when Dante realized he was walking on ice a cord was struck inside of me. Satan himself was anticlimatic, but the last circle's punishment, despite being rather mundane compared to some of the others, gave off a creepy horror like vibe. Well, too me at least.

This was the first time the Inferno got an emotional reaction out of me. (With the exception of the suicides... but that's still a fresh wound with pus and blood bitterly oozing out of my heart.) I didn't sympathize with any of the people in hell . Sure, I sympathized with Dante's sympathy for them but not them.

Basically, my point is that I started reading this not excepting to have any strong emotion response (once again the suicide marsh= exception). Yet, this last little bit- given it is the climax and as such is more likely to have an effect- made me shiver; the fact I wasn't expecting it made it that much worse.

Writing's purpose as an art form is to appeal to the emotions. I guess I underestimated Dante.

Those before Christ

In the first part of The Inferno, Dante finds out what happened to those who died before Christ came. All except those majorly used my God were sent to Limbo for eternity. I really don't understand this. They, of course, didn't have the choice of becoming a christian and following the teachings of Christ because he hadn't yet come. The people before Christ were told to make sacrifices of clean animals to God as a sacrifice for thier sins. If they did that, then why were they not allowed into heaven. Why were only certian people who did major deeds for God get into heaven such as Moses, Abraham, and Noah? What about the shephard who lived out in the country with his wife and kids who always followed Gods laws... prayed and provided for his family, loved God with all his heart, and kept the sabbath holy? Was he punished for the rest of eternity in Limbo just because he was one of the unlucky ones who wasn't an Isaelite or used in a miraculous was by God or born during or after the time of Christ? Who God really do that to a devoted follower? I don't see God doing that to someone who followed his laws, and sacrificed clean animals for their sins. Being a loving and just God as he is, I don't think be would ever let one of his followers end up in Limbo for eternity.

Trebuchets

So, since a several of us are experimenting with a trebuchet, I thought that I would do a little research. Below, you will find a brief history about trebuchets, and a few photos as well. Enjoy :)

A trebuchet is a siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages either to smash masonry walls or to throw projectiles over them. The counterweight trebuchet appeared in both Christian and Muslim lands around the Mediterranean in the twelfth century. It could fling three-hundred-pound (140 kg) projectiles at high speeds into enemy fortifications. On occasion, disease-infected corpses were flung into cities in an attempt to infect the people under siege—a medieval variant of biological warfare.

Guilty by Association

In our last class, Dr. Mitchell made the statement, "If you facilitate sin or wrong, it is just as bad as participating in the sin yourself." I think that in today's society so many people are quick to judge others and determine the degree of their sin, all without considering that they also have sin in their own lives. To God sin is sin. It is humans who try to "play judge" and determine the consequences they think others derserve. If only people would look in the mirror and realize that they themselves are just as bad, if not worse. It is God's place to judge, not humans'.

However, there are times when a person may not be directly involved in a sin, but he or she doesn't correct the other persons involved or is just too afraid to voice his or her disapproval. Sometimes a person may know the action or thought is wrong but encourages others to take part in it anyways. At these times, the person who remains silent or urges others to continue in sin is just as guilty as the person commiting the sin. People today are too afraid to speak up and think they must remain "politically correct". This mindset is only leading to destruction. If a person wants change then he or she has to take the first step in making that change. It is important to keep in mind that no one is perfect and that everyone sins. By keeping this in mind, a person would hopefully be less likely to scrutanize others.

The People's Court

One thing that bothers me a little bit about the Inferno is Dante placing so many people that either he personally knew, or were prominent public figures in hell. The mythical characters actually do not bother me as much; everyone knows their stories, so they are useful examples of various sins, but they are not really real.

With the real people, though, it seems like Dante is kind of sitting in judgement on them. He would have us think that he is just observing them in hell, but actually he is the one who put them there.

I think we on earth should not be too quick to declare those who are dead in hell. God is their judge, not us.

Devil May Cry

There's a series of video games called Devil May Cry, in which, the main character's name is Dante. The entirety of Devil May Cry 3 is actually based on Dante's Inferno. Each enemy represents a different circle of Hell and Dante's brother is revealed with the name Vergil. If you ever have the means to play it, I highly suggest doing so.

If only Dante had been this cool in the book:

Sleeping in Hell?

One of my roommates is writing an informative speech about sleep. As she was rehearsing the speech to me, I started to think, "Wow, Dante didn't stop at all for sleep on his journey through hell." This may sound silly to some of you. You may be thinking, "Well of course he wouldn't sleep in hell." I thought the same thing. But at the same time, I am so amazed that he probably doesn't need to sleep in hell. Beings in the afterlife are considered dead and therefore do not need sleep since sleep is something that living things need to rejuvenate the mind and body. So one would think that since Dante is living that he would need to sleep. But why would someone sleep in hell? According to the Bible, hell is a firey abyss. So why would you sleep there? Even if you wanted to sleep, would you be able to? I imagine that people would be screaming in pain and agony in hell and I doubt I would be able to fall asleep to that.

Dante's Inferno

Here is a picture of Dante's Inferno. I'm a very visual person and I think this picture helped me really understand the different levels of hell.

Which Level Are You?

I was searching the internet for some information on Dante's Inferno and I ended up at a website to see what level of hell I would be sent to. Then I remembered seeing a blog about this website so I decided to take the test and see what it said. Some of the questions were definitely kind of sketchy, but some of them kind of opened my eyes. I recommend that everyone take the quiz, even if it's just for laughs.

Just in case you didn't see the website from the earlier blogger:
http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-information.html

The Restoration of the Soul

The human soul is a highly unstable and extraordinarily powerful entity. It is the culmination of the intellect, the will, and the affections, possessing the power to build up, to tear down, even to alter an aspect of eternity. In The Inferno, this distortion of the soul is referred to as incontinence; or a lack of self-control in relation to the appetites overcoming reason. In his book, “Dante: The Poetics of Conversion”, John Freccero puts it this way:

“The Christian does not begin from a zero-point on his journey, but rather from the world of generation and corruption, a topsy-turvy world of inflated pride where directions and values are both inverted. Although the fall from grace left the natural light intact, it involved the will in a conversion to lower things, and the consequent distortion can be cured only by a descent in humility and an ascent to grace. Before the soul can make progress, the twisted course of the will must first be unwound.”

Our souls are born into a naturally depraved state, which consequentially becomes distorted through the corruption and perversion of our environment and our self-centered choices. If the “me” mentality of our souls is not reversed, we are instead condemned to the authority of our distorted souls, which is really bad news.

What, then, can restore these corrupted souls of ours? We must surrender to a power greater than our own, a power that can offer ample grace needed to restore our distorted souls. There is no degree of self-attainment or condemnation that can “unwind the twisted course of the human will”, so we must look higher than our distorted souls. 

It is the word of his grace that can build us up and sanctify our souls beyond our mortal measure (Acts 20:32). For “He restores my soul, He guides  me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3).

Tour of Hell

Here's a link i found to a pretty cool site. It's a visual walk through of Dante's Inferno, starting in the Wood of Error and making its way through all the circles of Hell, til you reach Satan himself. There's passages along the way explaining the significance of the different characters, symbols, and the different levels of Hell.
http://web.eku.edu/flash/inferno/