In the publishing outlook, Dr. Markos is considerably exciting, and is the playwright of "Lewis Agonistes: How C. S. Lewis can Uninterrupted us to Combat with the Broadminded and Postmodern Foundation" (Broadman the Apollonian is that which seeks order and lack of prejudice and mollify. The Dionysian (or Dionysiac to use Nietzsche's articulation) takes up the upset, the female, the eastern, the intuitive; it is that which seeks to break all restrictions by an approaching divine stupidity. Apollo speaks completed the dream; Dionysus (or Bacchus) completed intoxication. The former embodies the 18th century age of issue and enlightenment; the following embodies the romantic power on assessment and recklessness. The Dionysian takes us out of our vastness, seeking a a cut above open plan and inner light, that comes not from study and practice but from open misgiving of the divine.
MOREHEAD'S MUSINGS: In this stage you state-run that "Western dent has predictably pleased the Apollonian frozen the Dionysiac." You any take notes that Protestant Christianity "has seen some section between the Apollonian and the Dionysiac." Can you collection us with some examples as you expound an cream of the crop interpretation of the Dionysian myth for concentration by Christians?
LOUIS MARKOS: If I were to place Protestantism side to Catholicism, I would say the former is a cut above Apollonian (due to its power on technical biblical study and bright beliefs) to the same extent the following is a cut above Dionysian (due to its power on self-punishment and ritual). Hidden Protestantism, I would say that denominations be equal with the Baptists, Presbyterians, and Dispensationalists are a cut above Apollonian and the Pentecostals or Charismatics are a cut above Dionysian. The former search knowledge by way of inductive Bible study; the following by a a cut above open depiction of eyesight mediated completed spiritual gifts be equal with tongues and foresight. As Christians (and rarely Protestants) we want to learn from every. A touch than point of charismatics as drunken revelers, disbelieve of them as realm who are open to a depiction of ring out divine stupidity or "residence." The Romantics traditional as well that we learn completed assessment and premonition as drastically as completed hard-working study, issue, and logic.
MOREHEAD'S MUSINGS: J.K. van Baalen helped popularize an impression that whispered that put forward pastoral exercises at mature pack a vacuum in the culture left by a weakness in the church in praxis and beliefs. I find this impression of concern such as vital to a reading of Harvey Cox in his book "The Public holiday of Fools" (Harvard Learned Stuff, 1969) where he referred to possible beings as "homo festivus "and" homo fantasia, "creatures with "the dominance for commemorative let your hair down and the talent to imagine." In my predilection of Excruciating Man Carnival, with its strong power on the Dionysian completed art, discharge duty, and local holiday celebration, cream of the crop cultural events be equal with this country be traditional in some spice up as a reply to a "groove deficit" in American culture that has not been addressed by the church. The same country be whispered of the continued cultural concern in fabrication in evidence, small screen, and literature.
To pair these schooling to the church, you insinuation the mutuality (at least ideally) between Lent and Reasonable working in high society. In your look at, why do we not see a cut above of this high society in bountiful of the terminology of Christianity in the West as "Christ fuses within himself every the Apollonian and the Dionysiac"? Equally traditions within Christianity materialize to do a enrich job at together with Dionysiac elements and working headed for balance?
LOUIS MARKOS: The Medieval Catholics knew enrich than Protestants (and modern Catholics) how to lack of prejudice the formal meal and fast. They traditional enrich the rhythms of the sacred time. The bright and professional (and the Protestant) search too commonly to speed us out of the bicycle to some depiction of puerile diagonal greater all the scull and worry of the world (and this is a taunt that affects men a cut above than individual, for, be equal with the Apollonian in general, it is a masculine push). But to search this too lock, stock and barrel is to become everything of a gnostic--to sooner or later reject the flesh and the real world and search a easy on the ear, on the brink absentmindedness. We want to take part in the relocation of life, in the cycles of the world. The old Catholic festivals (be equal with associates of the Israelites) were attached generally to a wanderer bicycle, to the new life of ooze, the full flourish of summer, the slow shabbiness of autumn, and the death and rites of winter. The Apollonian, aided by modernism, would speed us out of the cycle; the Dionysian, which has postmodern elements to it, would bring us back concerning the bicycle. Solomon was right: organize is a become rough for all matter.
MOREHEAD'S MUSINGS: I'd be equal with to control an give a figure of from a Christian journalist and ask you for say. Elizabeth-Anne Stewart wrote the interesting substance "Jesus the Transcendent Flummox" (Franklin, WI: Sheed C. S. Lewis calls him the divine shadow and bridegroom. He is the look for of heaven. We ply lost that spice up of awe and worship such as we come in the presence of the holy God. Whenever you like the children foundational see Aslan in "The Lion, the Witch and the Dress", they learn for the foundational time that everything can be every beautiful and low at the same time. Jesus shatters all limits and fills us with new wine.
MOREHEAD'S MUSINGS: Near the end of this stage you state-run that the "Apollonian and the Dionysiac poverty be set aside in lack of prejudice..." How country this be done in the church, and how country an e-mail with the pagan classics of mythology help with this task?
LOUIS MARKOS: Ahead of time, let us prop a lack of prejudice between a unite study of and meditation on the scriptures and a glorify that draws us rising headed for God. Let us allow God to speak to us in bountiful ways. Let glorify not be the "loving up" to the address, but let it be a fundamental part of the service that brings us concerning the presence of the Lady and fills us with every regard and wisdom. If we read the pagan classics with eyes that see, we guts see that even these pre-Christian pagans yearned for God and were underfed for divine presence and meaning. We would do well to learn from their long. The pagan classics can any teach us to lack of prejudice the two in a character way. We can study them comfortably to understand what they teach us about the ancient world (Apollonian), but we poverty any allow ourselves to compose concerning them and to control in their yearnings (Dionysian). God set the time for every nation, says Paul in his quarters atop Mars Be apparent (Acts 17), "so that they country dash out and hankering following him: little he is not far from any of us. For in him we alive and move and ply our woman." To clash with the pagan classics is to join in the relocation.
MOREHEAD'S MUSINGS: Lou, thank you once more for talking about your book, and the interesting locale of the Dionysian in religion. I confidence our natter contributes to some new meditation on it in Christian circles.
