14AR19-35

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Apologia Report 19:35 (1,218)

October 15, 2014

Subject: The "depravity and degradation" behind the Renaissance

In this issue:

HISTORY - the surprising "base tendencies and avaricious impulses that undergirded much of the Renaissance's artistic splendor"

PHILOSOPHY - the importance of responding to opposition

SCIENCE AND RELIGION - why New Agers see little distance between the two

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HISTORY

Ugly Renaissance: Sex, Greed, Violence and Depravity in an Age of Beauty, by Alexander C. Lee (Early Modern History, St. Catherine's College, Oxford) [1] -- would that this were required reading for all who have spotless notions about the Enlightenment. Kirkus reports that "Lee ... lays bare the base tendencies and avaricious impulses that undergirded much of the Renaissance's artistic splendor. ... Focusing progressively on the lived experiences of the period's artists, the designs of their patrons and the broader political tendencies reshaping the continent, Lee provides an entertaining frolic buttressed by serious scholarship. ... The artwork itself reflects the prevalence of fleshly desires; blatantly pornographic frescoes at the Palazzo Farnese demonstrate what popes and cardinals preferred 'when they were left to their own devices away from the public gaze.'"

According to the publisher, "Renowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind the vast explosion of new art and culture lurked a seamy, vicious world of power politics, perversity, and corruption that has more in common with the present day than anyone dares to admit. In this lively and meticulously researched portrait, Renaissance scholar Alexander Lee illuminates the dark and titillating contradictions.... The Ugly Renaissance is a delightfully debauched journey through the surprising contradictions of Italy's past and shows that were it not for the profusion of depravity and degradation, history's greatest masterpieces might never have come into being."

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PHILOSOPHY

Prelude to Philosophy: An Introduction for Christians, by Mark W. Foreman (Philosophy and Religion, Liberty University) [2] -- Michael T. McFall notes in this review that "Prelude is neither an introduction to philosophy nor an introduction to Christian philosophy book. ... It explains what philosophy is, why philosophy is important, and how to do philosophy." McFall finds that "its distinctive feature is its specific audience: 'Christians who are new to philosophy and who may have misgivings and reservations about what they are getting into.'

"Chapter 1 defines and describes philosophy ... yielding this: 'Philosophy is the critical examination of our foundational beliefs concerning the nature of reality, knowledge and truth, and our moral and social values.' ...

"Chapter 3, the most substantive of the book, ... analyzes Colossians 2:8: 'See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and elemental spiritual foces of this world rather than on Christ.' This verse seems to forbid engaging in philosophy, but Foreman explains why this is not so. He then argues that there is a biblical mandate to develop a philosophical mindset. ... Foreman notes that 'in order to refute bad philosophy we need to first be aware of it' [something that broadly applies to addressing most issues in apologetics].

"Foreman confronts Christians who reject philosophy because they believe that Christians only need the Bible. Foreman claims that this view 'borders on bibliolatry.' Following J.P. Moreland [who wrote the book's foreword], he distinguishes between the Bible being the sole authority versus the ultimate authority. ...

"Chapter 4 provides an overview of different branches of philosophy in three ways: historical (ancient, medieval, modern, contemporary), worldview (naturalism or nonnaturalism), and topical (metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology).

"Chapters 5, 6, and 7 introduce the basic language of philosophy and types of reasoning, cover informal fallacies, and provide an approach for constructing and analyzing arguments." "Prelude could not be taught at [many] institutions, especially because of its inclusive language, such as 'As Christians we believe....'" (How's that for a curious application of the term "inclusive language?") "Prelude also has a wider scope than Foreman seems to anticipate. Namely, it is an excellent book for Christian philosophers to share with others to explain what they do and how philosophy and Christianity are compatible. Likewise, it is a great book for philosophers [in general], even at public institutions, to recommend to Christian undergraduates who seek additional philosophical material." Philosophia Christi, 16:1 - 2014, p233-237.

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SCIENCE AND RELIGION

"And Then There Was One: The Closer We Look, the Shorter the Distance between Science and Religion" by Kristine Morris -- a good current review of New Age influence on the religion-versus-science debate. Morris begins with an assumption that rules out revelation: "One thing is evident: we won't access the place where the rational mind meets the spirit without work.... The easy way out - to extend our reach with technology - may turn out to be a mere diversion on the path to our full potential as human beings. ... Marshall McLuhan suggested ... 'We become what we behold. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.' While the time-honored spiritual technologies for connecting with the universe and each other may require work, it is only through mastering them that we can come to claim our own power and become truly free and at home in the universe."

Morris explains that authors George Land and Beth Jarman "show how science and spirituality are breaking down the walls between them to offer a startling, exciting, and hopeful look at the universe. They offer practices for accessing non-ordinary reality coupled with convincing, science-backed evidence that the greatest connection we can make is the connection to our own spiritual power."

Objecting to "the hallowed theory of entropy, part of the Second Law of Thermodynamics ... [Land and Jarman] posit that the universe operates on the Law of Creative Connecting, or 'Syntropy,' and is actually moving toward a more evolved, better, and brighter future.... [W]hether we look above or below - to the macrocosm or the microcosm - there exists an energetic pull, which the authors call 'Creative Connecting,' or 'Future Pull.' This natural force, as real as gravity and very similar to human creativity in its workings, is pulling everything into a more evolved future characterized by ever greater, more elegant and efficient ways of being. Even more compelling, Land and Jarman illustrate how we, as conscious beings, can actually affect how this future will play out....

"'There is another reality in addition to the ordinary reality of space, time, matter, and energy,' explains Claude Poncelet <www.shamanwithin.net> "who has spent nearly thirty years engaged in shamanic practice and twenty-five teaching others to access this alternate reality. What may be surprising is that Poncelet is also a physicist specializing in nuclear physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, as well as a university professor and environmentalist who served as chief staff liaison on President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development.

For Poncelet, there is no inconsistency between shamanism and science; rather, he finds that "the modern scientific story and the shamanic story look increasingly similar in their understandings of reality.' ...

"Shamanism differs from other spiritual practices in that it derives its power through the use of altered states of consciousness to access the spiritual dimension of reality. ...

Poncelet explains shamanic perspectives and principles (that everything is sacred and interconnected, that there is a spiritual dimension to reality, and that we have the capacity to intentionally enter this dimension) and makes connections between them and modern science, particularly quantum physics, cosmology, relativity theory, and neuroscience."

Then there is Raven Grimassi <www.ravengrimassi.net>, who is allegedly working "direct contact with the spirits of plants," and reports that "A kindred connection forms when we emanate with the love of the plant realm, when we sense the moon's light as sacred, and when we understand Nature as self-aware." He adds that this "is not about faith or belief; it's about experiences. ...

"Eschewing cultural forms, Grimassi brings four decades of personal experience and the relationships he developed with the spirits of the moon, the night, plants, and places to his new system of witchcraft [which is based] on the oldest of the old ways - the primal ways that preceded cultural forms...." Grimassi further "explains the five arts of Old World Witchery: herbalism, divination, spirit mediumship, mysticism, and the use of magic. ...

"Grimassi makes it clear that mastery is only attained through correct, and sometimes arduous, practice...." [That is, follow only his rules, a common occult refrain.]

Last, Lori Joan Swick <www.loriswick.com> reports: "Research on spiritual dreaming conducted for the American Psychological Association found that people remember their mystical dreams the best [Uh, what qualifies the reported accuracy here? - RP], and the data gathered shows that about 50 percent of the population has mystical dreams. Surprisingly, in the light of all this, Western religious scholars and academics have neglected the study of this fascinating sacred art—only the scholars and mystics of the East have a long history of studying dreams. ...

Swick brings us a practical guide to accessing the gifts our dreams have for us, with techniques for incubating, navigating, and working with sacred dreams. ... Sacred dreamers also experience expanded self-understanding and greater openness to reevaluating their assumptions about the nature of reality; their ability to make use of the guidance received in dreams increases, as does their empathy for others; creativity blossoms; and dream-workers acquire a better understanding of how fluid the boundaries between body and mind really are." Foreword Reviews, Fall '14, pp46-49. <www.ow.ly/CC9bX>

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - Ugly Renaissance: Sex, Greed, Violence and Depravity in an Age of Beauty, by Alexander C. Lee (Doubleday, 2014, hardcover, 448 pages) <www.ow.ly/CCjiX>

2 - Prelude to Philosophy: An Introduction for Christians, by Mark W. Foreman (IVP, 2013, paperback 208 pages) <www.ow.ly/CCfQB>

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