Veritas (Spring 2018 - Issue VI)

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Nurturing Excellence

VERITAS The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Issue VI Spring Term 2018

Nurturing Excellence

VERITAS

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

Theology & Philosophy Journal

Contents

Introductions ………………………………………………1 Reports & Reviews ……………………………………….9 Events ……………………………………………………..28 Essay Competitions ………………………………….….31 Triumphs ………………………………………………....72 Interview …………………………………………………78 Letters ……………………………..…..…………………80 Quiz……………………………………………………….84

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

Introductions

MR LAWRENCE

I HAVE BEEN keen to explore this theme of Religion and Art for some time and am so grateful to Mr Raven and his team for bringing this to life.

Since studying Andrei Rublev’s icon of The Trinity and visiting The School of Athens recently at the Vatican (one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael), there is no escaping the way in which Theology and Philosophy ask and seek answers to the questions below and behind every other subject, enabling one to develop a framework into which all disciplines fit.1 The links between Art, Theology and Philosophy certainly fall within this framework and make enormous strides towards enhancing religious literacy.2 Rublev’s The Trinity is the most famous of all Russian icons and depicts the three angels who visited Abraham at the Oak of 1

ISRSA Statement on Religious Studies (https://www.isrsa.co.uk/publications).

2 ‘Fostering respect for diversity in a climate of fear and misunderstanding’ (https://www.isc.co.uk/media-enquiries/isc-blogs/fostering-respect-fordiversity-in-a-climate-of-fear-and-misunderstanding-the-case-for-areligious-education/).

1

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

Mamre (Genesis 18). What does the circle enclosure reveal about the life of the Trinity?

Why do all the figures wear a blue garment yet each figure wears something that speaks of its own identity? To question what each figure is doing, not doing, wearing and pictured with is one step further in the journey of asking and seeking answers to the truth about reality.

Raphael’s The School of Athens pictures Plato and Aristotle as central figures in the scene. What is each pointing to? What are they carrying?

What gestures of these figures indicate central aspects of their philosophies – Theory of Forms (Y7), empiricist views (Y9)?3 I hope that this edition of Veritas inspires you to ask and seek out answers to the questions below and behind Art to develop an informed and coherent worldview through an appreciation of beauty. Satisfy your need for intellectual rigour by focusing

3

Why not visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, which houses a version of the painting by Anton Raphael Mengs.

2

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

on reason, evidence, argumentation, textual analysis and the beauty revealed in the Art within this academic journal.

MR RAVEN

2017 marks 500 years since the advent of the Protestant Reformation. Over the last year or so, Christians of many stripes have commemorated the beginning of a movement of reform which has been forever sealed in our imaginations by Martin Luther’s nailing of ninety-five theses to the door of All Saint’s Church, Wittenberg.

That Luther’s actions in 1517 were certainly not revolutionary – it was according to simple university custom to post texts for academic disputation on church doors – reminds us that very often not all is as it seems when it comes to the Reformation.

Luther had no intention of schism, and most probably would have strongly resisted the way his teachings were appropriated by some in the years that followed. Rather, at the time, Luther wished only to initiate an intellectual conversation about certain significant but localised church corruptions.4 4

Those corruptions revolved around the use of indulgences, which were remissions for what is known in Roman Catholicism as ‘temporal sin’. For

3

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

What this suggests is that the Reformation is easily misconstrued on various fronts. There is, for instance, a familiar caricature at play when it comes to the relationship between Reformation ideas and art. John Calvin especially has tended to be cast as the enemy of religious images – they are, in his words, ‘unworthy of God’s majesty because they diminish the fear of him and increase error’.5 This is a wellversed Reformation position. However, what this quotation points out is not any inherent problem with the visual arts but instead their grave misuse in religious contexts. For Calvin, religious art can lead believers to worship images of God rather than God himself: these ‘icons’ reduce God to ‘a five-foot measure’;6 and as such leave God at the bidding of his creatures. It is idolatry – induced by the carving and painting of images used deliberately to replace God – that Calvin is concerned with, over against the artistic endeavour understood on its own terms.

Martin Luther had similar anxieties to those of Calvin. But in Luther we find a sympathy towards religious art and images perhaps not present in Calvin. It is thought that Luther eventually allowed for religious images inside church buildings, so long as they were understood purely as symbolic and not as venerable in themselves. And indeed, the Luther Bible, one of the early and great vernacular translations of scripture, contains many images portraying Bible characters and stories that are designed to help the reader understand the text better. A huge number of readers of this German Bible more information on the indulgences, as well as the Reformation more generally, see Alister McGrath, Christian Theology: An Introduction (Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007), 46, 55.

5 Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1.11.2.

6 Ibid., 1.11.4

4

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

would have been illiterate, and thus the Reformation owes much to these images for their part in disseminating its ideas throughout Germany and beyond. Perhaps, then, Catholics and Protestants possess more common ground on the issue than they might at first think!

Reflecting on such themes has been one of the great pleasures of working on Veritas this year. I have been delighted to engage in some fascinating conversations about the intersection of religion and art, as well as read some outstanding essays. My sincere thanks to all contributors, and of course to my invaluable Editors-inChief, Josh Djaba and Ricky Thake.

5

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

Word from the Editors

JOSH DJABA (U6S2) AND RICKY THAKE (U6C1)

PUTTING THIS YEAR’S edition of the school’s annual Theology and Philosophy journal, Veritas, together has been a truly rewarding experience for both myself and Ricky. It has been eye-opening and satisfying to discover the enthusiasm for Theology and Philosophy within the school and for its relationship with other fields, specifically Art this year.

As Ludwig Wittgenstein argued, a large part of the philosopher’s role is to solve misunderstandings and miscommunications. This is a task which the theologian too cannot avoid: as the A-Level theologians and philosophers will tell you, the use of religious language is a highly contentious topic.

One such method of communication can be through artwork, and so the relationship between religion and art was one we 6

Veritas | Issue VI | Introductions

were keen to pursue. Granted, this theme was not an easy one to approach for the boys: the questions were designed purposefully to challenge the entrants and make them think in ways they might not have done before, by introducing interdisciplinary thinking.

While this is a T&P journal, it would be rather limited if we were to only consider issues exclusively relevant to T&P. By incorporating art into the theme and putting some artwork into the journal as well, I believe we have come up with a fantastically wide-ranging and enjoyable edition of Veritas.

On behalf of the school, Ricky and I would like to express our immense gratitude to our staff editor, Mr Raven. His commitment and passion for the subject is nothing short of admirable, and without his hard work this edition would have been entirely impossible. Not only has he been a wonderful teacher to have, but his creative approach to T&P has shone through in the making of this edition: he has made this journal into something that has exceeded expectations.

I’d like to finish with a final thought. There is an important lesson to be learned from the theme of this year’s edition of Veritas. To gain theological or philosophical understanding or insight, we do not need to be sat at a desk, revising out of a textbook, or memorising essay plans. We need not even be just reading Calvin, Aquinas or Locke. There is the opportunity to better understand theology and philosophy everywhere if we are willing to open our eyes: the artwork we observe may not even be exclusively religious. For those who are genuinely interested in T&P, I implore you to break away from only engaging with the subjects for homework assignments or exam practice. The subjects impact us all, and a greater understanding of them can go a long way to making us all more interesting, wiser people 7

Veritas | Issue VI | Artwork

Gianpaolo Ruju (9S1) was commissioned by ‘Veritas’ to produce a piece depicting the relationship between art and religion.

This is what he came up with.

8

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Theological Treasures of Cambridge

In the Autumn Term Year 7 boys were invited to reflect on some theological artefacts curated by the University of Cambridge. Below is an example of one of these ‘treasures’ and a reflection by Zak Malkan.

Pronounced ‘Astro-Labe’ – this is a medieval computer with many functions such as telling the time and date, and finding stars. It is a brass disc with moving parts, 295mm in diameter. It hangs from a brass ring, and a ‘net’ with star pointers rotates over an engraved grid of coordinates (altitude and azimuth) in the sky. On the back, calendars allow the user to convert between calendar days (January-December, with important saints’ days in each month) and zodiacal days (Aries-Pisces).

People saw God in every aspect of the world around them, and when they wanted to learn more about the universe, they saw it as learning more about God’s Creation – getting closer to the mind of God. I chose the Astrolabe because it has a great pattern with multiple functions. I also like it because it was the first version of what we use today as a smart phone. It would have told the time, date and helped religions find their way.

Zak Malkan, 7S 9

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Report on Y13 Candle 2017

ALISTAIR AFEEVA, U6M1 On Friday 17th November 2017 HABS A-Level Theology students attended a conference led by Dr Peter Vardy. Some important aspects of the of the course were addressed in detail.

The conference began with discussion on what exactly we mean by God. For this Vardy outlined the ideas of Aquinas among other key thinkers and looked at what is meant in the traditional Judeo-Christian idea of God, the God of Abraham.

The discussion then moved on to the attributes of God, and the problems caused by the attributes of omniscience and omnipotence. Vardy discussed omniscience as outlined by Boethius, who presents it as an issue of God’s divine foreknowledge and the arguable resulting loss of free will.

Vardy then presented two possible explanations for the problem that God’s Omniscience creates: either ‘God’s knowledge causes events to happen’ or ‘God’s knowledge is caused by the decisions that free humans make’. The simplest way of resolving this issue is to place God in time.

After this discussion Vardy moved on to religious and ethical language and the differences and effectiveness of language to describe God. As well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of verificationism and how what we can say about God is impacted by the ideas of Postmodernism, post-truth and antirealist mentalities.

10

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

After a short break, discussion continued, focussed now on religion, sex and gender. This began with the early ideas of Philo of Alexandria and explored other key figures such as Augustine of Hippo. Finally, a discussion of secularism finished in a debate in which Jonathan Lubin offered a critical evaluation of the debate motion itself in front of hundreds of peers from other schools.

11

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Report on Webinar with Dr. Michael Lacewing1 VIVEK GUDI, L6H2

On 6th November 2017 at 4:15, 50 AS Philosophy students gathered in the vast hall that is E02, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dr Michael Lacewing. Students clapped in unison, chanting his name, sustained by chocolate biscuits in the crowded Theology classroom. As impatience grew and biscuits vanished, with chanting quietened down, Dr Lacewing suddenly appeared on the large projector screen, looking down at the entire class from the webinar display.

Dr Lacewing was a familiar face to majority of the students in the classroom. A senior lecturer at University College London, he is the author of the current AS Philosophy textbook the school is using and has visited students here at HABS recently to deliver a sixth form seminar.

The topic was straightforward- a comparison between the utilitarianism of John Stuart Mill and the Deontological Ethics of Immanuel Kant. Mill, a nineteenth-century philosopher and Kant, a hugely influential philosopher of almost a century before.

Dr Lacewing started out with an overview of Mill’s utilitarianism. He went over Mill’s key points regarding

1

This was HABS’ first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course).

12

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

utilitarianism, namely Mill’s stance that only happiness is good, and that we should aim for what is desirable. Since happiness is desirable, and it is the only thing that is desirable, we should aim for happiness. There are many ingredients that constitute happiness, and the pleasures we experience are divided into the higher pleasures we experience such as intelligence and love, and lower pleasures such as sex. Dr Lacewing then, after taking a quick break, moved onto how Mill defends utilitarianism as just. Mill explains that people all have ‘individual rights and liberties’ and by these being defended, happiness is maximised in the long run, despite some short-term unhappiness.

Following Dr Lacewing’s overview of Mill’s act utilitarianism, he moved on to Immanuel Kant’s Deontology. Starting off, Dr Lacewing described Kant’s notion of ‘the good will,’ as something that is the only thing ‘good without qualification.’

He drew a distinction between the consequentialism of Mill’s stance and the intention-based moral philosophy of Kant.

Immanuel Kant was a person who believed that moral decisions are done out of duty. A test for the moral worth of an action is the ‘Categorical Imperative’ concerning the universalisation of maxims. Dr Lacewing explained how the Categorical Imperative can only work for morally right decisions.

For example, if we universalised the maxim ‘It is ok to make false promises,’ then everyone would make false promises, and so no one would believe anyone, and so a promise would not exist. The maxim, when universalised, results in a contradiction of conception.

Dr Lacewing finally outlined Kant’s second instantiation of the ‘Categorical Imperative,’ concerning the idea that humanity should always be treated as an end in itself, never a means. Here 13

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Dr Lacewing illustrated that humans should be respected as rational beings, and not manipulated to meet the ends of someone. One person’s ends should be adopted as yours and you should help them meet their ends.

The webinar ended after Dr Lacewing concluded his explanation of Kant’s Deontology. Overall, whilst it covered much of what we already knew, Dr Lacewing explained it clearly and thoroughly. His frequent breaks gave students time to ponder on the thoughts he expressed and his interpretations of both moral philosophies. Students, regarding the viability of both utilitarianism and Kant’s principles, asked some interesting questions, and the energy within the room was vibrant, lively and enthusiastic. A worthy afternoon.

14

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Report on Lecture by Professor Alister McGrath2 ENUKA BALASURIYA, 11J1 I ATTENDED A lecture at St Paul’s Cathedral to hear Professor Alister McGrath speak about the relationship between faith and science. We are often told that faith and science are at war with each other, but perhaps we should consider the two disciplines from another angle. The question Professor McGrath raised was, ‘What if science and faith might actually enrich each other?’

Professor McGrath gave a very strong and compelling argument for the idea that science is a different viewpoint of the same concepts of religion. Religion is not defined – it is a construction of ideas by a group of people. Science is a construction of ideas that are empirically backed.

Both religion and science show two different ‘maps’ of the universe, which we must link together to see a much clearer and more detailed picture. Science tries to understand how life works, but religion tries to understand what life means. They are not inconsistent, as many of us have often thought. They offer explanations at different levels – that is, they look at different concepts in life and determine the cause and result. An example McGrath gave was raising a glass of water. Science would say impulses are moving through the arm to muscles to This lecture was delivered as part of St Paul’s Cathedral’s adult learning programme.

2

15

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

lift the weight. Thinking along the lines of religion would explain this action as wanting to drink water. This helped me in understanding the concept of what the differences between science and religion are. Though they are not the same, they do not contradict each other, and are equally correct.

An interesting point Professor McGrath raised was that science is limited. It cannot and will not provide answers for meaning or value. In science, the way in which things work is determined, but this does not shed light on why things take place and what the meaning of everything is. Science does not have the means of testing to prove these ideas empirically and cannot solve these questions we have the desire to answer.

Religion, however, can provide us with this angle of view and can explain why we have the desire to seek meaning in our lives and our relevance to the overall picture of the world.

‘This is not about inventing a make-believe universe, but about discerning the deeper levels of meaning and beauty that are already present within our universe yet which are too easily missed if we limit ourselves to one tradition of inquiry or to one map of reality’. This quotation shows us that we invent the universe we see, but without the consideration of many views, it will lead us to a distorted view.

In the Question and Answer section, our esteemed Head of Theology and Philosophy, Mr. Lawrence, asked a great question – ‘How might you respond to a secular humanist worldview of why we crave for meaning?’ The answer Professor McGrath gave shows us just how some world views have not provided enough answers to give them a strong, firm standing. Christianity looks towards God to show its purpose in the world as we are made in his image, but humanists do not have a more superior or powerful being to look up to. In this case, how would they answer the question of our need to seek 16

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

for meaning in life? They must consider this question deeply, as a better answer must be provided by a secular humanist.

In conclusion, I enjoyed the lecture given by Professor McGrath, and having read both Inventing the Universe and The Great Mystery I certainly feel that I have been equipped with a better understanding to tackle these sorts of worldview questions that we sometimes just pass off. I recommend reading both these books as they provide us with a greater and more detailed explanation of the relationship between faith and science.

17

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Report on Lecture by Dr Andrew Davison, University of Cambridge

BEN YOUNG, L6M1

ON THE 28TH of September 2017 the Theology and Philosophy department were delighted to welcome Dr. Andrew Davison to deliver a lecture on the unlikely theme of ‘Christology and Extra-terrestrial Life’.

Dr. Davison is the Starbridge Lecturer in Theology and Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Before he moved into theology he was a scientist, and he holds undergraduate degrees and doctorates in both natural science and theology. Dr. Davison truly works at the intersection of theology, science and philosophy and this gives him a unique perspective on all things theology.

Dr. Davison delivered the lecture having recently returned from his trip to Princeton, New Jersey. At the Center of Theological Inquiry, he was a fellow on a NASA-sponsored programmes to consider the implications for human society and selfunderstanding of life elsewhere in the universe. His work there looked at the significance of such 'exobiology' for the main aspects of the Christian faith.

During his lecture Dr. Davison addressed the question of what the possibility of life beyond earth might mean for our understanding of Jesus Christ. This included answering what 18

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

this possibility might mean for our understanding of the incarnation of Jesus and how this could affect our readings of the Bible. The talk was thoroughly engaging and Dr. Davison also answered a host of the student's questions. He then talked briefly about studying theology at the University of Cambridge and how pursuing a degree in Theology could lead to variety of job opportunities ranging from law to acting.

We thank Dr. Davison for giving such a gripping and wellplanned presentation that will encourage many to reflect more deeply on how the discovery of extra-terrestrial life could completely change the way we think about God.

19

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Report on Y12 Candle Conference 2017

JOSH DJABA, U6S2 ON FRIDAY 10TH February 2017 the L6 Theology sets went to the A-Level Religious Studies Candle Conference, in Bloomsbury Baptist Church, hosted by Dr Peter Vardy (former Vice Principle of Heythrop College, University of London), Dr Bernard Hoose and Dr David Webster.

The lectures focused particularly on the Philosophy of Religion and Ethics components of the AS Course, with lectures from Vardy on Arguing for God’s Existence and Religious Experience to start the day, and Natural Law – with the help of Dr Hoose – to end: Dr Webster spoke on The Problem of Evil in the middle between Vardy’s sessions, with a lively debate on Euthanasia right before lunch, and another on Human Potential in Vardy’s Natural Law speech.

Anyone who knows anything about Dr Peter Vardy will understand what I mean when I say his talks were at a level above entertaining. In his usual inimitable, hilarious and effortless style, Vardy grabbed our attention early in the morning, going through the syllabus material on the Ontological, Cosmological and Teleological Arguments, and 20

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

then going above and beyond the syllabus, into the realms of deep evaluation which we could use to stand out in our exams.

One of the most helpful aspects of the Conference was just how finely tuned it was to our new A-Level specifications: the importance of evaluation for success in the new exams was repeated countless times by Vardy, who demonstrated a wealth of wisdom regarding examination success.

After Vardy’s next session on Religious Experience was Webster who followed suit, both clearly explaining all course content on The Problem of Evil and then going beyond the course, into material which was far more sophisticated and advanced than the already challenging AS course. Webster brought his own style of presentation to the table, with more than a few ludicrous jokes and examples flying out during his 45-minute slot.

The debates, in my opinion, were the highlights of the day – even hearing from a theologian such as Vardy was only second to being able to hold intellectual discussions with people our age from across the country. While a few contributors to the debate left the whole room laughing, the majority of speakers presented, in the very little time they all had to speak, some interesting and intriguing takes on both Euthanasia and Human Potential, with our very own Jack Seifert getting a round of applause after his fantastic, possibly debate winning argument on Euthanasia.

Vardy, of course, had to have the last word of the day, and so the final session on Natural Law featured him and Dr Bernard Hoose, a leading thinker on Proportionalism, talking on Natural Law, leading into a wider discussion on Ethics, with an interview of Hoose and another debate in the middle.

Proportionalism itself is not even featured on the AS syllabus, 21

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

which just demonstrates how far beyond the syllabus the Conferences went.

For many of us, this was the first time going on a school trip with the freedom to arrange our own travel there and back: I would recommend breakfast before the Conference and lunch as a group in Central. An enjoyable and stimulating day out in Central London, the Candle Conferences are money and time well spent, and will be of immeasurable help to the future exam success of the L6 theologians, especially with the provision of a concise textbook of the topics covered in the Conference.

On behalf of all the L6 theologians, I’d like to express my thanks to Mr Charman and Mr Raven for organising the trip and accompanying us to the conference.

22

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Report on Y11 Vardy Conference 2016

MR RYLANDS

ON WEDNESDAY 7TH December, HABS welcomed back Dr Peter Vardy for his annual talk to the Y11 T&P students. It has, without doubt, become one of the most popular talks in the school calendar, and many of the Y11 boys have said that it was the best talk they’ve been to thus far.

Dr Vardy divided his talk into three sections: a new take on the Cosmological Argument; how technology makes ethics fun; and a chance for the boys to reflect on their future in an increasingly technological world.

The first talk was refreshing for the boys as it offered a new angle on their Y10 course material, and the questions that followed from the boys showed a real depth of knowledge and ability to link across numerous subjects – Vasanth Balla (11H1) posed an intriguing question that challenged both quantum theory and the very foundations of Aristotelian logic!

The second and third talks challenged the boys to think about key contemporary issues, particularly given the rise in technology and Artificial Intelligence – for example, where does the idea that humans have special rights really come from?

Linking in Peter Singer’s ‘Speciesism’, Dr Vardy encouraged the boys to think about the ethics of rights with particular regard to animals and AI robots. Dr Vardy finished his talk with a chance for the boys to reflect on their future – how the 23

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

traditional career paths may be challenged by the rise of technological automation, and how their response to this will prove vital – and there were enthusiastic questions that demonstrated high level questioning from Y11.

It was a great morning that has invigorated the Y11 students’ passion for thinking about the important matters deeply, as well as serving as a stimulating and timely refresher for some of their GCSE core material, and shows that T&P is a popular and thriving subject at HABS. We are already looking forward to next year’s conference!

24

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

Book Review Gunning for God by Professor John Lennox JACK COBB, 10C1

‘THERE’S PROBABLY NO God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life’. This was the message fixed to buses around major cities in the UK to attempt to spread the message of atheism throughout the country. Interestingly, Richard Dawkins was one of the many financial backers of this campaign and whilst the inclusion of the word ‘probably’ may not have been the most persuasive choice, included perhaps only for legal purposes, atheism has made an undisputed, rapid rise in the 21st century. Despite officially only an increase of 10% in the last ten years in the UK, the number of people who do not believe in God is thought to have increased by a minimum of 25%. However, the approach of the ‘New Atheists’ actually contains many flaws as Lennox indicates in his must-read ‘Gunning for God: Why the New Atheists are Missing the Target.’

Dr John C. Lennox is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy at Green Templeton College. Since 2005 Lennox began to criticize, write and debate against atheism, and his wealth of experience is evident throughout the book. Whilst many other books question individual arguments of atheism, Lennox tackles their message head on, considering not only their teachings, but their approach and methods fundamental to 25

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

‘why they are missing their mark’. He picks apart arguments in a systematic manner often recognising the inconsistency in atheistic reasoning ‘arguing that their irrational and unscientific methodology leaves them guilty of the same obstinate foolishness of which they accuse dogmatic religious folks’.

Perhaps the most important chapter is the first, where Lennox questions the foundation of the New Atheists beliefs’ or the unscientific nature of religion. He starts by resolving the confusion about faith. Where the New Atheists define it as what most people would think of as blind faith, he makes it clear that faith and belief are cognate concepts and that ‘evidence-based faith is the normal concept on which we base our everyday lives’. By proceeding to show that it is their definition of faith which appears to set science and religion apart, he gives new life to the rational interpretation of Christianity and its necessary inclusion in any rational science, discussed in his other book, ‘The Seven Days that made the World’. However, whilst this book does contain many detailed arguments there are still responses and evaluations of atheism missing. This book is more of a critique of the methodology of the New Atheists rather than complete denunciation of their beliefs.

The book then moves on to discuss the morality of religion and atheism with answers to questions such as ‘Can we be good without God?’, where Lennox argues that the New Atheists have not properly realised the consequences of their beliefs, and that by removing God they remove ‘not only their liberal values, but also any moral values whatsoever’. It is this argument which demonstrates what actually makes it such a good read, as whilst it does not respond to the idea that the removal of God gives free choice, and that therefore a morally acceptable life can still be led, it does provides the perfect 26

Veritas | Issue VI | Reports & Reviews

counter arguments to the atheist approach which enables the reader to strengthen their faith considering both explanations of fundamental questions and perhaps re-evaluating their approach. This is why, for both atheists and theists alike, to gain a better understanding of their own beliefs, ‘Gunning for God’ is a must-read.

27

Veritas | Issue VI | Events

Lunchtime Lyceum

A lunchtime forum to discuss ethical issues, such as:

The Trolley Problem: What Should You Do? Should the West Intervene in the Middle East?

Does Artificial Intelligence Deserve Rights?

Are We Morally Obliged to Help the Poor?

Is Cannibalism Always Wrong?

For students. Run by students.

All opinions welcomed and discussed.

Thursdays @ 1pm.

28

Veritas | Issue VI | Events

29

Veritas | Issue VI | Events

Humanism Debate 9th February 2018 - 9.15am in The Aske Hall Years 9 T&P students

Debate: Is Humanism the future of Britain?

Andrew Copson

Simon Edwards

Chief Executive, British Humanist Association

Apologist and Assistant Chaplain of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics

30

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

Junior School

ESSAY COMPETITION: ANALYSE THE PAINTING ADORATION OF THE KINGS BY JAN GOSSAERT For the reader’s reference, the painting can be found on this journal’s front cover 1ST PLACE JOHN HILLAN, 8R IN THIS PAINTING, the Christ child is the centre of attention.

The eyes of the main characters are looking towards Jesus.

Along with Mary, he is placed in the middle of the arch in the centre of the painting. The whole painting draws the eyes of the viewer towards him. As well as being surrounded by royal gifts, he is accompanied by angels. One of the angels carries a scroll bearing the Latin phrase Gloria in excelsis deo. This means ‘Glory to God in the highest’, showing that this is a holy event.

The angels signify the divinity of Christ. The bright light at the very top of the painting is the Star of Bethlehem that guided the kings to Jesus. The dove below it represents the Holy Spirit (God). This also shows Christ’s divinity.

The painting is set in the ruins of a building, similar to the stable mentioned in the Gospels. Notice the broken tiles with weeds growing through them, the donkey and cow in the background 31

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

and the lack of a roof. Christ is a divine king without the need for a palace. In the far background, there are very grand buildings in stark contrast with the birthplace of the king. This lack of stateliness shows that the kingdom of Jesus ‘is not of this world’ (John 18:36). On the capitals of some of the buildings’ pillars there are carvings of babies, building on the theme of birth and newness.

The kings are depicted as extraordinarily wealthy men: their clothes are intricately embroidered and they have many attendants. Even though they are of great worldly importance, one of the kings kneels, humbling himself before God. He removes his crown, puts down his sceptre and places them on the ground. The other two kings on each side are waiting to present their gifts. This is in accordance with the Gospel account of the event: ‘And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him’ (Matthew 2:11). There is an expression of wonder and adoration on the kneeling king’s face. He realises that, regardless of wealth, we are all subjects of God. That Christ came for rich and poor is further shown by the presence of shepherds in the background. In Jesus’ time, shepherds were some of the poorest people and were looked down upon and ostracised by established society. This image represents a foretelling of Jesus’s three years of ministry, where he associated with and welcomed the poor and outcast, like lepers, prostitutes, adulterers and tax collectors.

In the far-right background there is a group of soldiers carrying flags. They might represent Herod’s army. This would be a foretelling of the Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents.

32

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

There is also symbolism in the gifts. They are gold – a gift for a king, symbolic of his rule over Earth. The gold also takes the form of a chalice, which could represent the Eucharist and Jesus’s coming sacrifice. Frankincense, which is used as incense in religious ceremonies, symbolises his priesthood. The last gift is myrrh which is used for embalming a dead body.

This is a jarring contrast to the theme of birth that the whole painting focuses on, and it foretells the coming sacrificial death of Jesus. Another point shown by the presentation of myrrh is that Christ, as well as being divine, was a man with a body that needed to be embalmed.

Mary is depicted in the traditional blue robes. Her saintliness is shown by the halo around her head. In the painting, she has a distant, contemplative gaze, which could have been inspired by Luke 2:19: ‘But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart’.

Joseph is depicted in unorthodox red robes. He is kept away from the eyes of the viewer in the painting. He appears to be almost hiding from the main scene. This mirrors the lack of content about him in the New Testament.

The painting was commissioned by a bishop as an altarpiece. It would have been seen by many worshippers. It was designed to enhance worship by making the scene seem more realistic. I like it because it achieves its purpose. Like Thomas before Jesus appeared to him, I have not seen Christ, making it harder for me to believe, but the painting helps me and other viewers visualise the nativity scene, albeit only ‘through a glass, darkly’ (1 Corinthians 13:12).

33

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

2nd PLACE AIDAN CHAM, 7M ‘ADORATION OF THE KINGS’ by Jan Gossaert portrays Jesus as a little baby and his mother, Mary, as a young woman, and some angels flying over all the figures in the painting. It shows a man kneeling and praying to Jesus and Mary. In the painting it looks like the man kneeling before Jesus has taken his very richly embellished hat off while praying to him. It seems that all the figures in the painting are very interested in Mary and Jesus. They all seem to be focusing on Jesus and nothing else.

I think the title Adoration of the Kings is appropriate as the kings love and respect Jesus.

I think it looks like the angels are guarding all the figures and especially Jesus and Mary. Also, it looks like all the angels are praying to Jesus as well as if to symbolise that Jesus is destined to be great and that all the angels respect him. I also see that there are nine angels in the sky over Jesus and his group. Also in the midst of all the angels, I think the star of David is shining like in the Christmas story when Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem and when Jesus is born, the Star guides the three wise men (or kings) to him to give him their presents.

I think this is a very interesting painting as it shows many characters from the Christmas story. The characters are painted with detailed expression and clothing like all the other objects and scenery in the painting. Another detail that interests me is the dogs in the foreground. I think they symbolise that Mary 34

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

and Jesus are in a stable (not an expensive hotel). There were animals in the stable where Jesus was born because there was no room in the inns which were full of people returning back to Bethlehem for the census. The king is holding something that looks very costly and symbolic and is carrying it to Jesus and Mary. I think this means even the king respects or admires little baby Jesus.

I think the painter thought that Jesus was a very important and significant person and that everybody should respect him and that he is symbolic even as a baby. It shows Jesus and Mary in the middle as the main characters and there are lots of angels in the background. I like how Jan Gossaert has made all the characters focus on Jesus as if to tell us that Jesus and Mary are the main characters and that they are very important. He also made many of the things/characters around Jesus brightly coloured. I think Jan Gossaert is very clever to put two wealthy men standing either side of Jesus holding rich symbolic items.

I think this shows us that even very wealthy men think baby Jesus is more important than them as they were giving Jesus and Mary the items.

On closer inspection Jesus is holding a gold coin in his left hand almost like a priest holds out altar bread to Christians. I think that Jan Gossaert was very clever and thoughtful to put that snapshot in the painting.

On the whole, I think this painting is very special and that Jan Gossaert has thought very carefully about the symbolic references in the Bible and how to put it in the painting. Many features of the painting have made me think deeply about why they are there. I find the Adoration of Kings by Jan Gossaert very intriguing and very interesting.

35

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

3rd PLACE THOMAS NG, 7J THE ADORATION OF THE KINGS by Jan Gossaert was painted in 1510 with oil on oak and beautifully portrays the Christmas story. However, there are symbols and ideas that the artist uses that do not accord with the biblical version of the story.

Gossaert’s painting portrays the main characters in the Christmas story by blending the two Gospels of Mathew and Luke, although they are not identical as Mathew wrote mainly for Jews and Luke for non-Jews.

At the centre, Christ sits on the Virgin Mary’s lap as though it were a throne. He looks safe under the many arches of the building and in the visual arch his mother creates. He seems mature and majestic as if he is not a baby at all, but understands the sincerity and seriousness of the moment. Kneeling in front of Mary is King Caspar, offering baby Jesus a golden cup, which symbolises the Holy Communion, containing gold coins in it. The second king, Melchior, dressed in a green doublet over which is his gold coat holds the frankincense in a golden container. The third king, Balthasar, is on the left of Mary and is holding his gift of myrrh.

The picture is set against a ruin, though Jesus was said to be born in a stable. One theory is that this is St David’s house as in the Bible, Amos prophesises, ‘In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins, I will rebuild it and return its former glory’ (Amos 9:11).

36

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

The ruinous setting symbolises the Old Order and the birth of Christ represents the beginning of the New Testament signifying the start of a new era. Moreover, the ruin has another purpose: its massive red columns link the two backgrounds together. Up above, the Holy Spirit, represented by the dove, and God, depicted by the star. Down below, the wise men, shepherds, Joseph, Mary and Jesus himself, who completes the Holy Trinity – The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This links the top and bottom layer of the picture with God and the Holy Spirit on the top, in heaven, and Jesus, below, on earth.

On the left is the archangel Gabriel and like none of the others, he has multicoloured wings and a golden crown on his head.

Although the nativity is set in Roman times, the characters wear Renaissance clothing. Mary is a poor woman but she wears an ultramarine robe with gold detail. Her dress is plain but fine, suggesting her importance. In addition, Joseph is not looking at his child but is gazing up at the angels from a shadowy corner, clutching his walking stick. Is this because he feels that Jesus’s real father is God? Does he feel like he is not meant to be there?

The dogs also seem rather out of place: two playful animals in a solemn scene, like a pair of toddlers playing around at a funeral. Apparently, the dogs are copied from different paintings: the left from Martin Schongauer’s Adoration of the Magi reversed and on the right from Albrecht Dürer’s Saint Eustace except with its tail wagging the other way.

What I find particularly interesting are the ‘hidden details’.

Gossaert’s signatures are concealed on Balthasar’s hat and on his attendant’s necklace and many believe the shepherd behind the fence is a self-portrait of Gossaert. Albeit hard to see, there is a tenth angel in the doorway behind the ox whose wing is just visible. His hand is placed over his chest as if he is praying for 37

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

the baby. An army can be seen marching down the hill in the distance. Is this Herod’s army? I was also fascinated by the floor where you can still see some of the guidelines Gossaert drew through the rubble.

Another way to examine this painting is by comparing it to similar paintings, for example, The Adoration of the Kings by Peiter Bruegel in 1564. Gossaert’s painting shows the birth of the baby Jesus as a joyous moment whereas Bruegel’s painting is negative and makes Mary, Joseph and Jesus look vulnerable to attack from the soldiers carrying weapons. There are no angels in Bruegel’s painting, which makes it seem unholy.

Also, in Bruegel’s painting, the guard closest to Jesus is staring down at the gift in jealousy. Is this one of the men who capture and torture Jesus at his demise? Finally, why is baby Jesus rejecting the gift from the magi? Was Bruegel depicting that Jesus could sense the gift is myrrh with which he was buried?

Overall, Bruegel’s painting is much darker and the characters are immoral and jealous. In contrast, Gossaert’s characters are solemn but still joyful.

In conclusion, I believe Gossaert was a religious person and felt that Jesus’s birth was a happy moment enjoyed by many and he understood the royalty of the occasion. With his crisp detail of the gifts and extra ‘hidden features’ of the piece, I feel he has successfully entwined religion and art together. I recently visited the painting in the National Gallery and thought it was as beautiful as it was claimed to be.

38

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

Middle School ESSAY COMPETITION: ‘THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION IS AN ART FORM’. DISCUSS. 1ST PLACE OMAR KHAN, 11C2 ‘No great artist e'er sees things as they truly are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist’.

– Oscar Wilde AN ART FORM, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is any ‘activity regarded as a medium for imaginative and creative self-expression’. The subjective nature of art compels one to accept that the practice of religion can be considered to be an art form, considering the substantial amount that they have in common and their homogenous purposes.

Religion and art have been entwined for as long as history can recall; both expressed an ideal that could not be sufficiently placed in a material world of fact and objectivity. ‘Art and religion (they are the same thing, in the end, of course) have given man the only happiness he has ever had.’ This quote demonstrates the two abstract ideologies’ everlasting connection. When one is threatened, the other is equivalently placed in jeopardy; under the Nazi regime in Germany, from 1933-1945, religion and art were suppressed simultaneously, both being viewed as threats to Hitler's cause. With ideas of 39

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

‘degenerate art’ and untermensch (subhuman) religion, the Nazis eliminated all potential threats and viewed art and religion as two connected ideals.

The purposes of both art and religion can be shown to have major similarities. Art, for instance, is viewed as the ‘expression or application of human creative skill and imagination’, but this, from a more existential perspective, may be inferred to be referring to human expression of abstract ideals, which can also apply to the more complex purpose of religion. Religion has its origins in an epoch when humanity's knowledge was limited by man’s ignorance, compelling them to find answers in the form of religion, and similarly in the context of art, new conceptions were offered. The idea of a superior, extra-terrestrial, immaterial purpose and explanation appealed to an open human mind, one of subjectivity and unsatisfied curiosity. The function of religion, therefore, is to make whole mankind’s fragmentary interpretation of their existence. In relation to the question, however, the purpose of practicing religion is to amalgamate abstraction and tangibility; a religious spirituality, with its perplexing nature, is channelled through the medium of religious practice, whatever such action may be. For example, in the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope and Bishop of Rome is a channel of spiritual knowledge and praying, for instance with a rosary, represents the abstract force produced by worship, showing thanks to God and enriching one’s soul.

The ‘enrichment of the soul’ is a common purpose of art and religious practice. The ‘soul’ in this context merely represents an interpreter, deeper than the systematic human mind. Art is a cultural treasure, every medium through which it exists has a subjective meaning or impact on society, at both individual and 40

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

communal levels. Similarly, religious practice – whether that is Hindu puja, involving images and mantras, or Buddhist meditation, involving deep spiritual concentration – is interpreted subjectively, thus such practice would have several impacts, varying between individuals and societies. For example, Edward Munch’s prominent painting of 1893, The Scream, is often interpreted in several different fashions. Some debate whether the painting is autobiographical or inspired by his late older sister, Sophie, who lachrymosely died of tuberculosis when he was aged thirteen years; furthermore, it is often controverted whether the infamous skeleton-like figure, featured in the artwork, is screaming horrifically or in frustration, with many citing Munch’s ambiguous quotation: ‘I do not paint what I see, but what I saw’. An example for the religious practice with subjective interpretations is Islamic salah, a sequence of movements, the most notable being prostrating the body, but its representation and meaning is frequently disputed; most believe that, in accordance with Islam’s general message of subservience to God, the prostration represents submission to the Lord, whilst others surmise that it is a disciplinary test of faith – one must do so, simply because God has commanded it. Both examples demonstrate that a principal element of the ‘enrichment’ is the triggering of positive debate, communication and cooperativeness between individuals and societies. Enrichment is conventionally regarded as ‘enhancing the quality or value of something’ and ultimately, religious practice and art are designated methods of improving the quality of humanity’s existential comprehension and communal culture.

Another aspect of the rationale of art akin to that of practicing religion is the notion of creativity. Art is expressive of creative ideals; however whimsical or nonconformist the act is, the 41

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

subjectivity of art permits it to be considered a legitimate art form. An irreligious perspective could apply this logic to religion also; the idea that the unorthodoxy or seeming fancifulness of a religion does not matter for the religion to be considered as such. For atheists the concept of ‘God’, a divine, transcendent entity, seems nonsensical, yet Christianity, Judaism and others are widely accepted as major religions, since to followers of these religions, there is a trustworthy logic at the faiths’ foundations. Similarly, dance is a popular art form, with the dancers performing purposefully selected movements, but to an observer, there may not necessarily an obvious pattern or meaning, thus questioning such actions’ legitimacy. Regarding religious practice, the notion of creativity can apply heavily, particularly when religious followers practice differently as worship of the same ideal. An illustration of such is indulgence in the Roman Catholic Church: despite following the same faith, Roman Catholics and Eastern Catholics disagree over the use of indulgences to reduce suffering in Purgatory, due to the latter disbelieving in the existence of Purgatory (as prescribed by Roman Catholicism). The use of the rosary, Mass, stained-glass windows are just some examples of where Romans Catholics may disagree, not necessarily influenced by issues of faith, but regarding such practices’ legitimacy in relation to how much human creativity and expression had influenced its usage.

Creativity is a fundamental part of art and also influences religious practice, therefore is an aspect of their alike purposes.

The Oscar Wilde quotation at the beginning of this essay can, in my opinion, apply to both art and religion, since it describes both as ideologies which cannot provide the truth, but contain aspects of it. Historically, religion and art have been linked, with both sharing common experiences. In conclusion, 42

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

therefore, the practice of religion shares a mutual purpose with art, to enrich mankind, proving that religious practice is an art form.

2nd PLACE LOSEL GYALTSEN, 11J1 WHILE PEOPLE MAY disagree, I believe an art-form to be any activity regarded as a medium of imaginative or creative self-expression, while a medium is a way or means of expressing your ideas or of communicating with people. The nature of this question allows it to be understood in many different ways but I shall interpret it through a specific religion, my religion: Tibetan Buddhism. Therefore, I will essentially be answering how Tibetans use religion as a way of expressing themselves.

Firstly, a little background to Tibetan Buddhism. After fleeing Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama has been living in exile ever since and with him so has the religion. A religion separated from its homeland after the Chinese invasion of Tibet – an unjust invasion of Tibet. Tibetan Buddhism is based heavily on finding peace from within and stopping suffering for oneself and others. The religion devotes itself to karuna, metta and karma and through meditation it raises one’s spiritual awareness. Even though China wishes to control and limit Tibetan Buddhism in order to weaken Tibetan identity and

43

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

strengthen its control over Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism still thrives both in Tibet and in exile.

An art-form must be relevant and personal to the person so only true Tibetan Buddhists can see the practise of Buddhism as an art-form. Those who ‘practise’ Buddhism just for the sake of it or because everyone else is doing it won’t be able to see it as an art-form as it isn’t unique to them. That doesn’t mean you must walk around carrying prayer beads chanting the mantra ‘Om mani padme hum’, but instead means you have to truly believe in Buddhism and what it stands for. While I am referring to Tibetan Buddhism here, this idea is true for all religions meaning Christianity or Islam could be viewed as an art-form but only if the person is a genuine believer and follower of the religion. Shown by the quote below, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has made Buddhism personal to him and therefore into an art form, out of which only good can come.

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness – His Holiness the Dalai Lama Buddhism plays an enormous role in the lives of Tibetans with 1 in 6 Tibetans being monks before the Chinese invasion. Thus, religion is one of the most important ways in which a Tibetan can express oneself. However, Tibetans in Tibet have been detained merely for expressing their determination to be free meaning theoretically it is increasingly difficult for Tibetans to express themselves and consequently to view Buddhism as an art-form. However, this only makes Tibetans appreciate their religion even more and allows them to proudly express themselves through Buddhism.

44

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

When the question talks about the practise of religion I understand that as how a person acts and what one does to fulfil the needs of a religion. In Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetans often visit monasteries or undertake meditation as these are all necessities to be a true Buddhist. An art-form whilst being unique and personal should also have style, flare or grace to go with it. In Tibetan Buddhism the grace of meditation adds the flavour and finesse to make it into an imaginative and creative self-expression, otherwise anything unique could be an artform. An art-form requires a certain level of prestige and honour which is judged only by the person doing it as only they know how it compares to their other actions.

Man: ‘What have you gained from meditation?’

Buddha: ‘Nothing! But I have lost anger, anxiety, depression and insecurity’.

Unsurprisingly, art-forms can also exist in art as the more commonly known definition of an art-form is concerned with creating objects, works, or performances that are beautiful or have a serious meaning. All religions have their own artwork but none compare to that of Tibetan Buddhism art. Tibetan art, historically, has been entirely and exclusively religious, to the extent that it is something of a philosophical art as well. It is an art created by Tibetans that uses figuration and representational images for Tibetans to express themselves through a mean other than writing or talking. Moreover, Tibetan art is an integral part of a spiritual practice and process. A Christian may pray to a painted image of Jesus - an illustration of the divine being- but a Tibetan Buddhist uses the painting itself as a tool to facilitate the attainment of a spiritual state, and even to achieve transformation into the divine.

45

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

Therefore, by using all the points from above I have understood that religion, whichever one it may be, is by itself not an artform, but the active practise of a religion is, whether that is through meditating and praying, speaking to others about your religion or even creating your own art. Religion is an artistic invention which has had a profound significance on the life of all humans since the beginning of time. It has been cultivated and refined through its ethics, principles and philosophy to preserve and sustain itself. Buddhist scriptures express Buddhist morals while Buddhist services and rituals express symbolic performance pieces, all searching for the truth.

Simply put, religion is the most intricate yet extravagant artform since the creation of the universe. Tibetans use religion as a way of expressing kindness, compassion and as a way of undertaking the eightfold path.

To conclude, I believe, if done correctly and with a genuine interest, the practise of religion can be an art-form as religion is a great medium though which to express yourself, but only if you truly mean it.

3rd PLACE ELI TAPNACK, 11R1

SO, OUR JOURNEY starts here. Our journey to determine if it is plausible to link the concept of the practice of religion with that of an art form, so far as to say that they ‘are’ each other.

When linking two separate concepts, it is safe to assume that 46

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

the first place one would go to build his initial premise towards coupling the pair would be the definition. ‘The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power,’ is the definition assigned to art by the Oxford dictionary. So, it seems we have our starting point. Let’s break this down…

‘The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination’ is one that will split many down the middle on whether or not this is applicable to religion. If one looks at it from the perspective of an orthodox believer of the Abrahamic faiths, the idea of ‘human’ becomes problematic. Religion and its practises all are believed to derive from the word of God. If an art form, by definition, is human-created, an Orthodox believer may have an issue in labelling the practise of his religion an ‘art form’, as it seemingly neglects God’s part in it all. However, one could argue that God’s involvement was purely in the creation of the holy text; it being His divine words.

Everything following the text however, including all the interpretation, practise and worship, is solely human effort. So, the practise of religion existing as an art form does not seem so unfathomable, even for an Orthodox believer. That being said, even if the practise of religion is the expression of human skill, can it be argued that it is creative? Rather, it would make more sense to regard the practise of religion as the application of human analytical skill, as for an Orthodox believer; the practise of religion came about through close and detailed analysis of a set text.

For a reform or liberalist believer, however, the belief that the Holy Scriptures were not divinely written, rather divinely 47

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

inspired, allows scope for the idea that it is a human creative skill. The less fact that is fed, the more license one has to be creative. If no part of the religious scripture was literally whispered by God, it creates opportunity for creativity, as one has more to work with, and less to stick to. So, for a Reform or Liberal, the phrase ‘expression or application of human creative skill’ fits in perfectly with the practise of religion.

However, an orthodox or literalist may find it thornier to apply this section of the definition to the practise of religion.

‘Typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture,’ is the next section of the definition we ought to study. Arguably, this element of the definition is not the most important, for the simple reason that it expresses the term ‘typically.’ If we were being particularly pedantic here, we could claim irrelevancy and discard this section in our quest for a solution, as it gives no direct instruction as to in what form art is, only a mere suggestion of what form it tends to take. Nonetheless, we will be analysing this element of the definition as we would any other, as the easy way out never lead to a satisfactory answer; only an extra hour’s free time. Much of the practise of religion is carried out in worship form, where we use our own bodies to actively worship our respective God’s and deities. Let’s take the Buddhist example of meditation. Meditation is a fundamental aspect of Buddhism, reserving a spot on the holy eightfold path. The spiritual practise of bringing oneself to the present moment, whilst connecting with a ‘higher self,’ is nothing short of an extraordinary art form. Everything in this world, broadly speaking, can be placed under two categories: Science or Art (occasionally also a mix between the two). As far as the scale runs, using the power of the mind to reach an almost alternate self and universe is as far from scientific as you can get, and, should it be proved authentic, would leave 48

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

many-a-scientist desperately clutching at a microscope for a possible explanation to this witchcraft. Thus, meditation is forced, by popular definition, to be an art form. This can certainly be applied to all prayer, from all religions. Prayer is bliss. It is the cloud floating above, with no interactions or concerns, the ecstasy of the religious world, providing undisturbed tranquillity and peace. It is our momentary cessation of the never-ending suffering and distress that comes hand-in-hand with the world we live in. This idea of prayer and its effects is the most beautiful and active art form known to man: the art that frees pain.

As for the visual aspect, prayer is a visual form of art for the individual and for the whole. Let’s go back to our example of meditation. The human body in itself is a form of art to marvel at, but especially when applied in the correct way. True meditation can only be achieved with the correct use of the body. Like a work of art, you manipulate your body into the position most fit for your forthcoming meditative journey.

Influencing the shape of your body as such, like any sculpture, is a work of art, and what’s more, one you can visualise. Not convinced? Fine, neither would I be yet; let’s dig a little deeper.

Being able to visualise something does not necessarily specify that it must be something of a physical nature; there are alternate forms of visualisation. This brings us on nicely to the age-old concept of a tabula rasa, i.e. a blank slate, an idea popularised by philosopher John Locke. This concept, suggesting that our lives beginning at birth as a blank slate, with every conscience decision we make adding a strip of colour to our individual canvases, thus building up a picture of our lives, can be traced back in Western philosophy as far as the works of Aristotle. It is a commonly recognised and widely accepted philosophical proposition (though don’t quote me on that to 49

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

Stephen Pinker if you ever happen to run into him). This teaching would certainly solidify the idea that the practise of religion is an art form, and a visual one for that matter. Each time one makes the conscience decision to actively practise religion; he is adding a layer of colour to his canvas that encapsulates his life. Sub-consciously, we are all viewing our canvases every moment of our lives, and editing them to our aesthetic pleasing with each step we take. These canvases are the finest, most carefully structured, invaluable piece of art, visually accessible to every man in the world should he tap into it. With the practise of religion taking a large role in the shaping of this canvas, it is undoubtedly a visual art form. Satisfied? I hope so.

The last section of the definition that we have to analyse states: ‘producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.’ ‘Be[ing] appreciated’ is one fragment that will have no trouble in being applied to religion at all. 84% of people in the world are of faith, and therefore appreciate the practise of it. Throughout history, people have fought wars for, and died for their faith in religion and their right to practise. So, it would be inconceivable to claim that the practise of religion is not widely appreciated on a vast scope.

The next concept we must attempt to link with religion is that of ‘beauty.’ Beauty can only arise in the absence of all that is ugly. Al Quran 29:45 states that ‘Indeed, Prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing’. With the absence of these ugly traits, beauty is able to arise, and hence the practise of religion, or more specifically prayer, is a route to beauty and can be viewed as an art form; at least for a Muslim. I hear your screams of “But I’m not Muslim” echoing through the pages, but this beauty does not finish in the Quran. Rather, it is displayed 50

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

across all religions. The beauty of the practise of religion does not lie in an individual quote or parable; it lies in the effect of the practise of religion as a whole. The beauty of religion and its practises are that it provides a sense of belonging to everyone in the world. I say everyone as, without religion, an atheist could not assign himself to the group labelled as ‘nonbelievers.’ Religious practise provides beauty in bringing communities together, in providing beautiful works of poetry, and allowing us to take a break to connect with the world around us and interact with those we love (for example on the Sabbath for a Jew). Most importantly, its beauty lies in allowing us to reach a tranquil state of mind, in which we can feel the true inner beauty of the treasured connection between God and man. That is where the real beauty lies within religious practise. In almost all religions, the basis of the religious practise lies within the holy text, i.e. the ‘works’ mentioned within the definition. For many, this holy text (be it the Quran, Torah, New Testament etc.) is the most powerful piece of emotive writing since the age of man. With journeys through individual’s lives, we get sucked into the hardships of life in ancient times. Anyone who has read the old testament’s story of Isaac being instructed to sacrifice his beloved son, Jacob, will struggle to deny that the story is anything short of compelling and truly emotional, and this is just one example.

The practise of religion is an emotional rollercoaster, with sacrifices having to be made in order to serve a higher purpose, and this is true for all who practise a faith.

To conclude, if we take the definition of art at face value, and see if we can apply it to the practice of religion, the answer is yes; we can. However, this is not conclusive. The primary reason that this is questionable is due to the subjective nature of the definition. Every dictionary will have its own definition 51

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

of art, as will almost every person. So, I have selected just one definition, albeit the most popular, out of possible billions to base my essay on. But don’t rip these sheets out just yet. We have made a start, and what’s more, a fairly good one. We are well on our way to answering the question first placed before us, so your time has not been wasted. I have started you off, given you the fundamental information needed to go about this question. I have given you my opinion as far as I could in 1,500 or so words, and justified it as well as my writing skills would allow me. It is now time for you to take that one step further.

This essay should be used as a stepping-stone for you to find your own personal answer, as I unfortunately do not claim omniscience. Good luck!

52

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

Sixth Form ESSAY COMPETITION: ‘WITHOUT ART, RELIGION IS UNINTELLIGIBLE’. DISCUSS. 1ST PLACE JAMIE SLAGEL, U6J2

ART PERVADES THE history of religion and is an important centrepiece of religion. From the stunning paintings of Michelangelo to the fascinating Ellora Caves in India, art has played a fundamental role in religion for over a thousand years.

It allows a common reference point for all religious believers, so that they are able to access other people’s subjective interpretation of religion. I will discuss how a system of reference is required for intelligibility and thus that without art, religion is unintelligible. However, I will consider the problematic assumptions of this, and the counter-example of individual spirituality and individual intelligibility. Ultimately, though, I will consider how Wittgenstein’s picture theory of language requires that religion has reference so that it is meaningful and thus so that it is intelligible, and will conclude that without art, religion is unintelligible.

In this essay, when I talk about ‘art’, I mean a creative or imaginative piece of work normally in a visual form e.g. painting/sculpture, which is appreciated first and foremost for its aesthetics and the emotions it produces. Moreover, I define 53

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

‘religion’ as a system of faith or worship, normally of some sort of divine or superhuman power. Finally, I consider the word ‘unintelligible’ to mean impossible to comprehend— something which cannot be understood. It is important to note that this means that if religion is intelligible, it can be understood—but is not necessarily understood at the present time. Thus, I take ‘without art, religion is unintelligible’ to mean that religion cannot be understood without art, where religion and art are defined as above.

It could be argued that art’s role in religion is to provide a system of reference to people within a religion and thus to allow religion to be mutually intelligible. Religion can only be understood if, like many abstract concepts, there is a common reference point to which all believers can look. Therefore, without something to refer to, religion is unintelligible. Many people would suggest that religion is a community ideal, and therefore that it must be understood by many and believed by many to truly be intelligible. However, religion is a very personal concept, and everyone interprets the spirituality and concepts of religion differently. This can be explained, I believe, by likening it to two examples: that of abstract concepts, and that of personal feelings.

When we take an abstract concept such as ‘justice’ or ‘religion’, it can only be intelligible if we can ensure that everyone’s concept is the same. This means that everyone must understand the concept in the same way, otherwise it is completely unintelligible. To do so, we need some sort of reference. Thus, a concept such as ‘justice’ can only be understood because we can point out different real-life examples of justice, for example someone getting punished for a crime. For the concept “stone”, the reference is an example 54

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

of a real-life object, a stone. Therefore, such a thing is necessary so that we can understand a “religion” as a concept.

How do we know that everyone has a similar concept of what faith or spirituality is, or what God is? The only way we can know is through some sort of reference to a real-life example.

The only possible such thing is something which is public and which is referential to religion. When considering this, it is clear that the only possible candidates are: community worship, religious scripture and religious art. Someone can point to the stone and say, ‘that’s a stone” and so ‘stone’ becomes intelligible. For abstract concepts, no single object can be pointed out, so for ‘justice’ we must point to an example of our interpretation of the abstract concept—an example of justice being carried out. If we were to point to real-life community worship, this is referential to religion and publicly available.

However, this does not seem to make religion intelligible because it does not give an example of religion as a concept. It allows us to show an example of religion, but this does not actually give anyone a concept of religion itself. This is because religion is, as I suggested in the second example, personal and thus can be likened to personal feelings such as ‘happiness’ or ‘pain’. Since religion is both a personal feeling and an abstract concept, pointing out an example does not allow people to create a single reference which they can all use to ensure that religion is intelligible. Religion as a concept creates a feeling within us which is subjective and personal, like ‘happiness’, and pointing to community worship is not a true reference. The same can be said of religious scripture because religion derives its ideas from religious scripture, rather than the other way around. In order to create a reference which allows us insight into something subjective and personal, like ‘happiness’, we need to be able to access the personal feelings 55

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

evoked by religion in something referential by seeing someone’s interpretation of religion. Since this interpretation is based on the scripture, and not the other way around, scripture cannot provide a reference either. However, art does offer personal and subjective interpretations of religion as well as a real-world example which can be used by a reference.

Everyone who wants to understand religion can use religious art as a reference point to do so. While it could probably be argued that people do not understand religion in the same way as each other since they would not agree with some art’s interpretation of religion, this does not mean that religion is unintelligible. Religion can be understood through art, but in such a scenario one could argue it does not do so. Even so, religion is intelligible when there is art which can be used as a point of reference. However, it is the only such point of reference and thus, without art, religion is unintelligible.

However, this argument, many would suggest, provides an incorrect understanding of ‘religion’. It suggests that religion is purely a community concept, and thus that we can only understand religion when everyone understands the concept of religion in the same way. This is not the case though—religion is personal and need not have any reference or community aspect. It is perfectly plausible to understand religion in an individual sense, so that religion is intelligible as long as it can be understood through individual interpretation. The argument that art is required so that religion is intelligible suggests incorrectly that religion is unintelligible if there is no point of reference because then it would be impossible to know whether everyone understands the concept of religion in the same way and thus it would be impossible for anyone to understand religion as a concept and thus to understand any specific religion at all. However, this is wrong, because there is no need 56

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

for everyone to understand the initial, underlying concept of religion in the same way. As long as everyone understands the concept of religion in some sense, then they are able to make sense out of and understand any religion they choose to believe in or choose to understand. For example, Buddhism would suggest that religion can be understood by everyone in different ways, but that what does not vary is the essence of the teaching and that this is what is important. It does not require everyone to have the same understanding of religion, the concept, nor does it require people to understand the religion Buddhism in the same way. Buddhism, instead, has a core centre of values and teaching and it is this which can be understood whether or not people have a point of reference which allows them to understand religion and Buddhism in the same way. Even if this were not the case, it can still be shown how a hypothetical religion does not need a common understanding of religion to be intelligible. If the teaching and ideas being spread by a hypothetical religion are the same, everyone can understand this religion, even if their interpretation is radically different based on their personal contextual understanding of the concept of spirituality, divine powers and religion. Moreover, even if the emotions, thoughts and beliefs evoked by such teachings are wide and varied, nevertheless such a religion is still intelligible. Thus, there is no need for art as a point of reference and without art, religion is still intelligible.

Individual intelligibility, as suggested above, incorrectly understands the importance of a reference. A reference is not necessary just so that everyone can ensure that they understand ‘religion’ (the concept) and a religion (any specific real-life faith system) in the same way, but rather it is a necessity so that religion is meaningful. This can be understood in Wittgenstein’s early philosophy, in which something can only 57

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

be meaningful if it has reference. Thus, an argument can be written: 1) Religious statements have reference if and only if religion has art.

2) Reference is necessary for meaning (Wittgenstein’s picture theory).

3) Therefore, something which has no reference is meaningless.

4) Something is necessarily unintelligible if it is meaningless.

5) Therefore, something which has no reference is unintelligible.

6) Therefore, without art, religion is meaningless.

7) Therefore, without art, religion is unintelligible.

(1), (2) and (4) are the only premises of this argument, the other 4 statements are conclusions of these premises. I argued for (1) above, but it can be explained that art is the only reference for religion because it is the only thing which is publicly available, related to religion and expresses an interpretation of religion and thus the subjective feelings of religion which are required for something to be a true reference of religion, since it is both an abstract concept and a personal concept. (4) is a premise which seems to be true necessarily—something cannot be intelligible if it is meaningless, because if something is meaningless, then there is no possible way in which is can be understood—there is nothing to understand! It seems that (1) and (4) are very difficult to rebut; however (2), the other premise of the argument requires some more explanation.

Wittgenstein explains in his early work that ‘the logical picture of the facts is the thought’ (proposition 3). In his work, there are seven key propositions, of which this is the third. ‘The 58

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

facts’ is everything in the world—the objective truths of the world. Thus, when we have a thought, we create a logical picture of the world—this is known as Wittgenstein’s picture theory. Wittgenstein goes on, in his 4th proposition, to say that ‘a thought is a proposition with sense’. This is particularly important, because ‘sense’ seems to suggest meaning and understanding. Something which has no sense cannot be understood and thus if religion is not thinkable (so it cannot be made into a thought—a proposition with sense), it is not sensical. If religion is not sensical, it must follow that it is unintelligible. Therefore, it seems, if religion is not thinkable, it is unintelligible. And, for something to be thinkable, it must be a ‘logical picture of the facts’. Therefore, unless religion is a logical picture of the facts, it is unintelligible. This leads to Wittgenstein’s provision of the two requirements of sensibility—for something to be sensical, it must conform to the limits of logic and (more importantly for this discussion) it must have reference. Therefore, (2) states that something which has no reference is meaningless—or it has no sense.

However, why is this the case? Wittgenstein argues that when we use language, propositions correspond to reality—to the facts that we state. If, for example, religion states that ‘God exists’, then the proposition itself maps onto reality in the same way a photograph of my face—or a piece of art—maps on to my face. Thus, propositions only make sense if they actually map onto reality. This must be the case, he argues, because when we speak we have some meaning. This meaning must derive from what it is language is representing. The word ‘stone’, he argues, is meaningful because it refers to an object—a stone. ‘Stone’ is a pictorial representation of the state of affairs. Thus, religion can only be meaningful if it refers to something. This shows that reference is not important for 59

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

community religion, but it is required for all religion, even individual interpretation and spirituality, since something which is meaningless is certainly not intelligible. Religious art, therefore, provides this reference, and it does so in such a way that it actually shows this picture which language represents— the picture theory of language suggests that art allows a visual representation of the pictures which art creates, allowing religion to be meaningful and thus comprehensible. Therefore, without art, religion is meaningless and unintelligible.

2nd PLACE WILLIAM UPSON, L6R2

THIS ESSAY WILL argue that both art and deductive reasoning is needed to make religion intelligible: without art, religion is unintelligible. Art in this essay will be defined as anything that is the product of creativity and imagination. This would include not only works such as song and poetry but also Holy Scripture, due to the creative skill that was used to make a piece of scripture. This essay will even go as far to say that the world and indeed the universe is art because, for a believer, it has been designed. Unintelligible means that the religion is incoherent and impossible to understand on an individual and a collective level.

One could argue that Holy Scripture and other sources of art are essential to understanding religion. Calvin argues that 60

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

humans are naturally inclined towards religion and belief: but without guidance, we are liable to misunderstand ‘the seed of religion’ that lies within our hearts. Therefore, a Christian may argue that art is needed so that somebody can understand Christianity: so that the seed in their heart that is natural theology does not ‘bear bad fruit’.

Furthermore, one could argue that art, including Holy Scripture, is needed to understand religion. Without art, one could argue that people don’t have a reference to draw their beliefs from. Art is needed so that people can fully understand what they believe in. For example, for a Christian who believes that sinners will be sent to hell, a painting depicting a person burning in the hellfire can help the person to fully understand what they believe is true.

Without a work of art to draw reference from, one could argue that religion becomes vague, unspecific, and very difficult to understand to a non-believer. For example, the Tripitaka has a set of doctrines that Buddhists should follow. Without this text and other related ones, it becomes much harder for people to fully understand the religion. Martin Luther argued that people must return to the original texts of the Bible, to gain a complete knowledge of Christianity. This shows how looking at the direct work of the religion is profoundly important to understanding the religion.

In addition, we could extend the definition of art to include the natural world around us. This is because, for a believer, it is designed and is the product of creativity. The world around us has been used extensively to help us understand religion.

Aristotle would use sense experience of the world around us to help us understand theology. An a posteriori way of thinking helps us to learn about God through his works, which we can say is art. Furthermore, if everything done in this world is due 61

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

to him, then all art, in nature or otherwise, is the product of God. Therefore, by looking at all art, which is the product of God, we can learn a great deal about him.

The Islamic quote ‘My success is only by Allah’ shows how everything we do in this world is by the grace of God. Surely then, all art that is in this world is by God? We can therefore look at the world for evidence of God, and how we should behave. If the world is one masterful sculpture by God, then all knowledge that we gain by sense experience is art, made my God. If we can assume that all art in this world is by God, then one could argue that we can learn a great deal by analysing the art that God has put for us in this world. Calvin argues that the world tells us many things about God: the lightning shows his power, and sinners meeting their end show his wisdom. When sinners do not fall in this world, this can show God’s justice because they will face retribution in the next world. These qualities of God, in turn, tell us more about religion, and the way in which God wants us to live.

Art helps people to understand what they are striving for and shows how they should be improving spiritually. For example, a sculpture of the Buddha meditating next to a lotus tree, achieving enlightenment, provides instruction as to how others can reach such a form. Some would argue that blind faith is not true faith, and that religion through art gives us a purpose to channel our belief through. Without such guidance made in the name of God, we are blind, trying to faintly grasp concepts which we cannot without art that God has provided.

The revealed and natural theology that Calvin believes in shows how art is needed to clarify and specify our beliefs.

Without art in nature, as well as in art when God reveals himself, such as through Scripture, it is impossible to gain a true understanding of the religion that God wants us to believe 62

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

in. Without art, humanity’s natural, inbuilt sense of religion becomes woefully misguided. This is crucial to understanding’s art’s place in religion. Art is needed, such as in Scripture or even the natural world, to provide context to our beliefs, and so we can gain knowledge of God, and the religion as a whole, as well as specific beliefs, by looking at art around us.

Some argue that art isn’t needed to make religion intelligible.

One could say that religion is personal, and that art is not needed for your beliefs to be understandable and comprehensive. Many argue that as religion is for an individual, the feeling that your beliefs are correct is enough for your religion to make sense. The key element to belief is faith, and so one could say that only your faith is needed to make religion intelligible.

Furthermore, people such as Galileo argued: ‘I do not feel obliged to believe that same God who endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect had intended for us to forgo their use’. This could show how we should use logic, reason and the power of human intellect to make a religion intelligible. Plato supported reason in his philosophy, using a priori thinking. He believed that this is the only true form of knowledge, and so using sense experience to look at things like art is superficial.

Moreover, one could argue that looking at art in the world around us is not what is needed to make religion intelligible.

Plato would argue that reason within the mind is what is needed to gain a thorough understanding of the world. Some would argue that logical thinking, instead of outside influences, is what we should use to gain a complete understanding of religion. By attempting to understand religion through visioning what the perfect religion would be, could be seen as being beneficial.

63

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

This is because art in nature or Scripture could give us an incomplete version of what we are meant to believe. One could possibly argue that when the Buddha achieved enlightenment, he was utilising a priori knowledge, though he could not have taken influence from Plato. The Buddha was in meditation and contemplation, which could mean that when he understood the answer that is Buddhism that he founded, he was using the powers of reason within himself. Although people have taken inspiration from the Buddha with art (through things such as statues) when the Buddha first claimed to understand the truth about the universe, art may not have played a part in his deduction: art was not the source of his knowledge. This shows how art is not needed to understand a religion: the founders of a religion did not see art to understand their religion.

Moreover, one could argue that art is ambiguous, and is difficult to fully understand. All religions do not have an agreed consensus on all issues: there is always debate within a religion about what is or is not part of that religion. However, one could argue this problem stems from art, that has come in the form of Scripture or otherwise. I would not go as far to criticise the Scripture for being so, but some would argue that the problem with all types of art is that they need to be interpreted, and there are challenges with doing so.

This means that art is a problem for believers: how does one know what the answer is within a piece of art? If a believer looks at the Bible and sees hidden meanings, but another person takes it literally, and another person thinks that the Bible encourages humans to draw their own conclusions, how are these people meant to reach any sort of agreement? My point here is that some would argue that art adds confusion to a religion, instead of aiding comprehension. This is because a piece of art’s meaning is subjective, and is decided by the viewer. This therefore means that art alone can make it difficult 64

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

to understand a religion, when there are so many interpretations of any piece of art: its nature means that it is subjective.

However, art provides invaluable clarity to any religious belief.

For example, a set of instructions written in the 10 commandments, written in the piece of art that is the Bible, provides understanding to a religion. Furthermore, looking at art in the world around us, such as art that is the power of the sun, helps to show us God’s power, because it is so difficult to understand God, we need him to reveal himself to us through art. On the other hand, some would argue that logical reasoning and deduction is needed to understand religion. Art and its problems with different interpretations can be solved with logical reasoning. Using logic and clear deductive reasoning, such as ‘Why would God prefer this over that?’ in the context of different interpretations of art, is highly beneficial to gain a more thorough understanding of religion.

Therefore, I argue that art, in conjunction with logical deductive reasoning, is needed to make religion intelligible. Art by itself has the main issue of interpretation, and the problem of other minds, where different perspectives will see and notice different things in a piece of art. However, art is undoubtedly needed so that people can understand God, and to successfully tap into ‘the seed of religion’ as Calvin put it, which is inside us, so we can follow the correct belief, and learn what the correct belief actually is.

Without art, religion becomes is unintelligible. Understanding aspects of God is necessary through art. For example, observing the power of God in nature that is art, or the creativeness of God through a painting, helps us to understand God and his attributes, as well as religion as a whole. St Irenaeus argues that we should move into the divine likeness of

65

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

God, and so we should observe and admire his works on earth, so we can move into his likeness.

3rd PLACE SIAVASH MINOUKADEH, U6R1

TO SAY THAT the history of art has been impacted by religion would be an understatement. The Greatest works of Greek and Roman sculpture were attempts to visualise their mythology.

The number of depictions of Biblical scenes hanging in collections across Europe are timeless. Even outside of the Western sphere, religion and art have been intertwined, sometimes unintentionally. For example, the prohibition of depictions of Muhammad has meant that non-figurative art blossomed in the Islamic world, through calligraphy and architecture. Looking back at art can teach the viewer how religious figures were seen over time, how doctrine was implemented alongside a whole wealth of other information.

This art all came about as a result of the society the artists lived in. A religious society led to the creation of religious artworks.

So, given that religion is no longer anywhere near as ubiquitous, can art being made now say anything of value about religion? Of course, one could say that given that the artist is an individual, their work can still tell us something about their individual beliefs but even here, an issue presents itself. The pioneer of modern art, Marcel Duchamp, said it best when he wrote that ‘The creative act is not performed by the artist 66

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

alone’. In other words, an artwork on its own can tell us nothing – only by being viewed does it take on any meaning and that meaning will change depending on who is viewing it.

Therefore, it could be said that contemporary art that is made with Duchamp’s words in mind cannot tell us anything about religion.

Or, it could equally be argued that art can now teach us more about religion than ever before.

Each contemporary work we look at will influence and be influenced by our own beliefs in a way that older works couldn’t possibly do because there is already an accepted interpretation of them, meaning that we cannot gain as much from them. To better illustrate this, one can look at the most significant religious work of art from the last few decades: Andres Serrano’s Piss Christ (1987). The work is a photograph of a crucifix that has been submerged in a glass of the artist’s urine, printed on a monumental scale with warm light filtering through from the background. Understandably, ever since it was first displayed, it has provoked rather strong reactions. It led to the gallery that exhibited it in the USA losing its National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) funding after pressure from Republican members of Congress. Ever since then, it has faced attacks by Christian activists with prints of the work being defaced and torn in the USA and France.

67

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

So, what does this work, and the responses to it, tell us about religion – our own and that of the artist. Given that the work depicts Jesus being submerged in human waste, one would think that Serrano is rejecting Christianity. Since the crucifix is also a symbol of Catholicism in particular, the work has also faced especially strong opposition from Catholics, for whom this resembles the iconoclasm that took place during the Reformation. Had this been pre-Duchamp times, that would be the end of the matter but now we also need to look at the context of the work and look at who was evaluating the work. Their response to this work tells us a great deal about their religion.

It is unsurprising that those who caused the most outrage were evangelical Christians who give greater authority to the literal teachings of the Bible and value symbols of Christianity very highly. To direct such anger at a work would suggest that those protesting this art have a disciplinarian and authoritarian view of Christian doctrine.

In contrast to this view of Christianity lies Serrano’s own beliefs. He too is a Catholic, a fact which at first would not seem to make sense given his work. However, he is a Christian following the ideas of Strauss, extracting meaning from the Bible without treating every element of it literally. With this in mind, it is possible to see how his work relates to his faith. For example, the orange glow which the crucifix is basking in bears a resemblance to the halos placed around Jesus in more traditional works of art. It has simply been updated for the modern world. There remains the question of why a Catholic would decide to commit what looks to be a desecration by covering Christ with urine. Again, this is Serrano applying Christian teachings in a modern context. Just as Jesus was willing to reach out to ‘undesirable’ elements of his society such as going amongst the lepers, being submerged in urine is Serrano updating the message of Christ’s humility in a modern 68

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

context, showing him to be unafraid of getting dirty. These two opposing interpretations are both valid (but they are by no means the only ones) - the one that the viewer will choose to believe will tell us a lot about how they see Christian teaching in the modern world.

This one photograph has led to a number of different interpretations. The photograph cannot tell us anything about Christ, Christianity or the artist’s views in absolute terms. In that sense, contemporary art can be seen as useless in informing us about religion. However, if we understand that art is interpreted on a personal level, then religious works of contemporary art can inform our personal faith and beliefs, influencing and being influenced by our own religious ideas.

Yet this does not mean that contemporary art is restricted to simply telling us about religious ideas. As with medieval stained glasswork, some works of contemporary art can still serve as aids to religious practice.

Brazilian artist Daniel Lie recently exhibited his Death Centre for the Living at the Vienna Festwochen.

The work, made in collaboration with Vivian Caccuri, consisted of an installation made with the materials found in the rainforest. Rotting fruit, mud and other organic materials were placed around the room, creating a primal, natural environment. Viewers were made to leave any links to the world (watches, phones etc.) outside the installation, fully emerging themselves in the work. They were 69

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

encouraged to sit or lie down in the space and explore through the landscape using all of their senses. The senses are challenged and subsequently overwhelmed and the objects become more than the sum of their parts. Through this installation, Lie is trying to create a ritualistic experience for broadly secular audience. His aim is to make the sense something which rationality alone cannot comprehend, encouraging the viewer to tackle the work and to seek meaning in other ways, through self-reflection and a collective ritual.

This work was driven by Lie’s own upbringing and his experiences with the Brazilian Candomblé sect. He revisited the traditions of the sect in order to make his work and the outcome is an attempt to convey the experience of the Candomblé faith to those who do not hold it.

Therefore, in a sense, the rise of immersive artwork and installation art from the 1970’s onwards has actually led to the creation of what religious artists had been trying to achieve for centuries: the creation of a religious environment that is enhanced through art. By losing the restrictions of traditional art forms, artists such as Lie are able to create works that go far further in linking the aesthetic to the spiritual than any church window or fresco could.

Of course, it would be incorrect to suggest that religion is a major theme of most works of contemporary art and the art world is certainly nowhere near as concerned with religion as its predecessors were but art does still have some value when examining the role of religion in contemporary art. It is not a necessary factor in understanding faith, either within an individual or in wider society but where relevant, its power is undeniable. It can be used, as with Serrano’s Piss Christ, to tell us something about how those involved in making and viewing art view religion or it can serve to create a religious experience in its own right, as Lie’s Candomblé influenced work does.

70

Veritas | Issue VI | Essay Competitions

Religion is of course intelligible without art and, for the most part, religion cannot be seen through the lens of contemporary art. However, when art does apply to religion, it can provide a valuable insight into faith.

71

Veritas | Issue VI | Triumphs

TRIUMPHS

The Theology & Philosophy department has seen great success over the last year, with some outstanding projects and essay competition entries.

JONATHAN STELZER – FIRST PRIZE in the 2017 Aske Project for his piece ‘Science and Religion: Competitors or Companions’.

JAMIE SLAGEL – WINNER of the Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize (presented by Oriel College, University of Oxford) for his essay on the importance of memories for identity.

RAHUL NAGPUL – HIGHLY COMMENDED in the Lloyd Davies Philosophy Prize for his essay on the importance of memories for identity.

RAGHAV KANWAR – WINNER of ISRSA essay competition ‘Why Theology and Philosophy Matters to Me’.

ENUKA BALASURIYA – RUNNER UP in ISRSA essay competition ‘Why Theology and Philosophy Matters to Me’.

KESHAV KANWAR (PREP-SCHOOL) – RUNNER UP in ISRSA essay competition ‘Why Theology and Philosophy Matters to Me’.

72

Veritas | Issue VI | Triumphs

Aske Project 2017

In November 2017 the Theology & Philosophy department was delighted to learn that Jonathan Stelzer had been awarded 1st Prize for his outstanding Aske Project on science and religion. Below is an extract from his winning project. The aims of this prestigious project, now in its fifth year, are to promote academic enquiry beyond the scope of regular A-level study, to develop independent study and research skills, and to encourage initiative and creative thinking within the student body.

JONATHAN STELZER, U6C2 Part 3: The Companionship WHILST VICIOUS ATTACKS have mainly originated from scientists, there are an equal number of academics that do not view these two disciplines to be at war with one another. In fact, far from it: John Lennox, John Polkinghorne and Anthony Flew, are only a selection of scientists who see scientific findings to have gifted religion more authority than ever before.

Therefore, the companionship between these two worlds addresses the misguided warfare mentality that science and religion should be pitted against each other and so perhaps my very own title for this investigation is damaging. Science and religion are best likened to two overlapping circles and it is this 73

Veritas | Issue VI | Triumphs

area of intersection which bares the most significance as illustrated below.

Science

‘The Great Partnership’

Religion

Most commonly, theistic thinkers liken the relationship between science and religion to that of a mechanism and agency. To conclude that both disciplines cannot mutually exist would be committing a category error because they are two antithetical fields and so they cannot, by definition, be mutually exclusive because they belong to different categories. All scientific explanations reason to be a mechanism whilst theists regard God as the agent who facilitates the work of the mechanisms allowing for creation. In the same way that the mechanical works of the cogs, springs and levers of a watch does not make the watchmaker non-existent, so too is the case with science not rendering religion invalid. Equally in the same way that the Big Bang took place (an example of a mechanism) this only ratifies the necessary existence of a God in order to facilitate the Big Bang that caused the universe. For many this may be seen as a tenuous and idealistic response in order to defend religion in the face of the highly adaptive science but even if this is so, God’s existence cannot fully be miscounted because if he does exist it would logically follow that he 74

Veritas | Issue VI | Triumphs

facilitates the science we observe in our everyday life.

Confirming this hypothesis is Lennox’s example of algorithms.

In engineering, the idea of a computer-implemented genetic algorithm is routinely used for sophisticated engineering optimisation purposes- perhaps to construct the most efficient shape for an aircraft wing: ‘It would also be absurd to suggest that the fact that these evolutionary algorithmic optimisation process are themselves blind and automatic constitutes an argument that they do not have an intelligent origin’ (Lennox, 2008, p.90). And so, evolutionary arguments must invoke religion and God within their conclusion to act as an explanatory agent that triggered the initial evolution. Through this analogy, it becomes blindingly clear that the presence of any scientific force observed in the universe forms the foundation of a great partnership with the mechanism of science being facilitated by the agency of God and his divine, supernatural nature.

Moreover, American Philosopher William Lane Craig further argues that between science and religion exists a partnership.

This is because science, on a regular basis helps to verify and falsify claims made by religions. He argues that when religions turn to the natural world as a source of authority they are overlapping with the domain of science and are therefore making assumptions which scientific discovery can either verify or falsify (William Lane Craig, 2015, article entitled, What is the relationship between science and religion?) For example, the necessary relationship between science and religion can be illustrated through the Copernican revolution in the mid-1500s. Here, Copernicus used scientific observation and empiricism to falsify biblical statements regarding the anthropocentric nature of the universe. And thus, even if 75

Veritas | Issue VI | Triumphs

science appears to contradict fundamental religious teachings, it is in the very rejection that the partnership becomes clear.

Another example of the relationship between these two fields is illustrated through the views held by religions such as Taoism that posit the world is eternal due to it being a manifestation of a divine being who himself is eternal.

However, due to the progress of the Big Bang Theory, this claim was falsified as science showed that the universe did have a beginning in which all space, matter and energy was compressed into a single point which exploded. This example demonstrates how there exists a partnership because whilst religion makes claims, science helps to test the validity of these claims. Indeed, whilst falsifying religious claims, science also helps to verify religious claims. The first words of the Torah and the Genesis creation story are Bereshit bara elohim et hashamayim ve’et ha’arets which translates ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ (Genesis 1:1), confirming creation ex nihilo. Therefore, this demonstrates the relationship because science verified claims that the universe had a beginning as religion initially suggested. Space scientist Robert Jastrow, confirms this suspicion: ‘[The scientist] has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries’ (Barrow and Tipler, 2009, p.561-65).

Therefore, there exists no need for science and religion to be pitted against each other in such a dramatic way because science both confirms and rejects the metaphysical plausibility of religions claims.

76

Veritas | Issue VI | Triumphs

Significantly, religion offers answers to questions which science simply cannot address regarding ethical approaches to our everyday existence. Can Capital Punishment ever be morally justified? Should euthanasia be legalised on ethical grounds? These questions can be answered using a multitude of different stances. For many, Joseph Fletcher’s Six Propositions outlining that all decisions should be made on one fundamental axiom, namely love, provides an approach to answering these topical questions. However, for others, this would be insufficient. Instead they would turn to Immanuel Kant’s use of logic and reason in coming to a deontological position on intentions. Despite these approaches being the antithesis of one another, theology and religion allows for a conscious development of a worldview by reflecting critically on different theological and philosophical perspectives, allowing individuals to face the intellectual, moral, emotional and spiritual challenges of life responsibly and with integrity.

Therefore, religion offers answers and solutions to matters which science cannot begin to address demonstrating the collaborative and supportive relationship that exists. The limits of science and the overlap extend further. John Polkinghorne, uses the example of experimental testing on human individuals without informed consent and without assurance of the survival of the patient (Polkinghorne, 1998, p.120). In order to address and progress this scientific problem, religious ethics are invoked. To determine the morality of human experimental testing both the knowledge of science (regarding likelihood of survival and the impact on future humanity) coupled with theology (which is ascertained by wisdom gathered through theological studies) must be used. This combination shows the partnership because both fields work together to reach conclusions, which couldn’t be reached alone.

77

Veritas | Issue VI | Interview

Interview REV. BRANDON

Q:

Who is your favourite artist?

A:

Hieronymus Bosch.

Q:

Why is art important to you?

A:

It helps me to express my feelings in ways that other things can’t.

Q:

How does art help us to understand religion?

A:

Art was the very first multimedia. Many people still find that a stained-glass window with colours, hues and

78

Veritas | Issue VI | Interview

religious depictions is as transforming as reading scripture.

Q:

Where do you see art in your day-to-day life?

A:

On the tube; listening to the Big Brass Band here at HABS.

Q:

Who is your favourite theologian?

A

Primo Levi (not strictly a theologian, but the best one‌)

Q:

What is your favourite thing about teaching Theology and Philosophy?

A:

I like the random conversations and wavy red-herrings that spring out of spontaneous discussion. At these times students are making connections.

Q:

If you could paint anyone, who would it be?

A:

Someone nice.

79

Veritas | Issue VI | Letters

Letter from Mr Cawley

DEAR HABS BOYS, I’m very glad to have this chance to write to you almost a year after leaving and it’s great to hear that Veritas is still going strong!

I’ve so many fond memories of my 10 years at Elstree and so much to be thankful for. I always loved being kept on my toes by the sharp minds and love of banter that characterises the ‘dasher boy’ (Mr Lloyd-Williams), particularly when it meant leaving a lesson with more energy than I had when I started, because we’d had such a great discussion. HABS is a great place to be, boys, and you’re very fortunate to have very many brilliant teachers.

The T&P department especially was (and is!) a fantastic place to teach and learn and the current edition of Veritas sounds as fascinating as ever, with its theme of religion and art. Central to this, I suppose, must be the aesthetic questions that relate to the nature of beauty: Is it objective or subjective? Does our appreciation of beauty in any way point towards a transcendent realm as Plato or CS Lewis (had to mention him!) would have us think? How does art express the human condition? A signal of transcendence or a cry of despair?

80

Veritas | Issue VI | Letters

As for books on this, I could do no better than to recommend H.R. Rookmaaker’s classic volume, Modern Art and the Death of a Culture (first published in 1970, but still in print – I’ve just checked on Amazon!). For, more than ever, we need to bring our theological and philosophical skills to bear upon this question, since ‘Through art we can know another’s view of the universe.’ (Marcel Proust, ‘Maxims’). The works of Roger Scruton are always worth consulting on this and you might want to get hold of Beauty: A very short introduction in the Oxford series.

The Francis Holland School, Sloane Square, is really a very different sort of place to HABS: much smaller, in the heart of Belgravia and a school for girls! Nevertheless, there are some striking similarities: the girls are now learning to do worldview analysis of literature, film and art (sound like the HABS T&P department?); most significantly, they’re being encouraged to think holistically about their learning in a way that T&P uniquely facilitates. Certainly, don’t under-estimate the usefulness of T&P in helping you to think in a way that is critical, creative and connected!

Enjoy thinking and never give up the search for the True answers to the big questions: the Truth is out there!

Very best wishes to you all, RJC

81

Veritas | Issue VI | Letters

Letter from Mr Charman

DEAR HABS BOYS, Whether art has any place in religion will depend largely on which place of worship you choose to enter. The ornate iconography that is so typical of the Catholic tradition can inspire and cause the soul to tremble before the ineffable nature of God – St Mark’s in Venice or the more high-brow Cathedrals in Lisbon are particularly good examples– whilst causing others to scoff at the garish pomp in equal measure. The quiet mediation on the name of Allah offers a neat Muslim counterpoint to the Catholic bombast, whilst the low Protestant churches see whitewash and minimalism as a no-frills approach to get in the way of the Word. Regardless of your opinion, there seems to be a deep need for man to try and record the world that he encounters – from cavemen’s daubs on a forgotten cave to a child’s doodle – and a theist is no different, for, ‘art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.’ I’ll outline a few artists or experiences who have enabled me to have some understanding of what Thomas Merton is getting at in the quote.

Last year I found myself staring up at the colourful rectangles that characterise Mark Roethko’s work, and I understood at last the attraction. The room was small and round and the works of art were huge; crucially, they were hung as he intended.

Slightly above your eyeline, and with nothing in your 82

Veritas | Issue VI | Letters

periphery. The following hour of entire fixation, where the self almost seemed to vanish, was both profound and unexpected.

The work of Caravaggio was perhaps my first experience of the manner in which art and religion can intertwine so powerfully.

The angst and emotion that his characters always possess complements the words in the Gospel and have always added a rich layer to the Gospel stories, where the emotions that simmer beneath the surface are mined extensively.

Lastly, while the Teleological argument is questionable for its ability to demonstrate God as the Intelligent Designer, if He does exist, He surely must be an artist. Turner and Michelangelo’s work, for their seascapes and profound understanding of a mind that cannot be articulated or realised, complete the pantheon of artists who blend the title words most effectively. Standing in the Sistine Chapel is an experience to be savoured, to see a mortal mind breaking the human barriers.

So, if I have any advice, it is to continue to draw, paint and doodle, ignoring the arguments that it is not valuable or UCAS beneficial. The greatest lament boys had when I was at HABS was giving up a subject they cared for and the irretrievable loss they felt. In other news, MTS is great, but I miss colleagues and boys alike, and wish you all happiness and success.

Best wishes, Mr Charman.

83

Veritas | Issue VI | Quiz

Quiz

Can you name the Biblical pairs portrayed in these works of art?

84

85

Answers: Samson & Delilah; David & Goliath; Hagar & Ishmael; Adam & Eve; Mary & Joseph

Veritas | Issue VI | Quiz

Veritas | Issue VI |

Social Media

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER News, links and articles relating to Theology and Philosophy @HabsTandP

86

Veritas | Issue VI | People

People

MR RAVEN Staff Editor JOSH DJABA AND RICKY THAKE Editors-in-Chief Contributors (in order of appearance) GIANPAOLO RUJU, 9S1 ZAK MALKAN, 7S ALISTAIR AFEEVA, U6M1 VIVEK GUDI, L6H2 ENUKA BALASURIYA, 11J1 BEN YOUNG, L6M1 JACK COBB, 10C1 JOHN HILLAN, 8R AIDAN CHAM, 7M THOMAS NG, 7J OMAR KHAN, 11C2 87

Veritas | Issue VI | People

LOSEL GYALTSEN, 11J1 ELI TAPNACK, 11R1 JAMIE SLAGEL, U6J2 WILLIAM UPSON, L6R2 SIAVASH MINOUKADEH, U6R1 JONATHAN STELZER, U6C2 REVEREND BRADON MR CAWLEY MR CHARMAN

Disclaimer It is the editorial policy of Veritas to write out God’s name in full (as opposed to G-d). This is not a reflection of individual authors’ preferences or beliefs.

88

The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School Nurturing Excellence