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September 06, 2007
Not that modern after all
I've wondered before if the American fascination with celebrities is nothing more than a variation on the mythology of the Greco-Roman era. The Greeks and Romans made their gods greater than they were by giving them powers and abilities, but also made them accessible by assigning them many of the same failings as humans. We make celebrities greater than ourselves by highlighting their beauty, wealth, and fame, but also make them accessible by obsessing over their divorces, drug scandals, and whatnot. The Greeks and Romans made veritable soap operas of which god was sleeping with which other god. We, well, that goes without saying.
Peter Leithart draws this out further, arguing that Christians need to realize that "for all our pretense of sophistication, the West has never entirely escaped the impulses and habits of primitive culture, or that, by escaping Christianity, we are reverting to it." And, later on:
Part of the trick, too, is recognizing the continuities between pagan and modern habits and learning to call them by their traditional names. If a rock concert looks, smells, and sounds like a bacchanal, why not call it that, with all the religious overtones that go with the name? If the rock star elicits frenzy, why not call him a shaman?
Technorati Tags: culture, mythology, Peter Liethart
theology | By maphet | 11:37 AM
