Anyone who cares about art, architecture and human culture mourns the tragic destruction of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris this week; such a reaction is independent of one's religious faith or lack thereof. As I write this post, the cause of the fire remains unknown though an accident, related to restoration work, seems most likely.
It is understandable that this tragedy, having occurred during Holy Week, is especially painful for Catholics and it is also unsurprising that many believers find solace in that association. Inclined to accept messages from God in various forms, they see a heavenly hand in the destruction of a great human cathedral, mimicking efforts to destroy The Church by killing Jesus. So too, the Cathedral will be reborn.
This relationship (and friction) between human culture and religious faith has been evident throughout our history. After all, for much of that time, The Church has controlled both the financial pursestrings and the political power. Today, that balance has begun to shift, primarily related to the scientific revolution and partly to revelations of scandal within the Catholic Church. As human enlightenment progresses, we will hopefully retain our interest in and devotion to historical culture while discarding the bonds of mysticism.
It is understandable that this tragedy, having occurred during Holy Week, is especially painful for Catholics and it is also unsurprising that many believers find solace in that association. Inclined to accept messages from God in various forms, they see a heavenly hand in the destruction of a great human cathedral, mimicking efforts to destroy The Church by killing Jesus. So too, the Cathedral will be reborn.
This relationship (and friction) between human culture and religious faith has been evident throughout our history. After all, for much of that time, The Church has controlled both the financial pursestrings and the political power. Today, that balance has begun to shift, primarily related to the scientific revolution and partly to revelations of scandal within the Catholic Church. As human enlightenment progresses, we will hopefully retain our interest in and devotion to historical culture while discarding the bonds of mysticism.
