This morning in church, the praise team played an old praise chorus by Waterdeep that includes the line "You ride upon the clouds." It got me to thinking about how interconnected religions are. My 21st century urban Methodist church gets this image of God riding upon a cloud from the Old Testament, which we read because our religion, Christianity, started out as an apocalyptic Jewish sect. Jews, in turn, inherited the Hebrew Bible from their ancient Israelite ancestors.
God is frequently depicted riding upon clouds in the Hebrew Bible. The image, however, does not originate in the Hebrew Bible. The earliest attestation of it that I know is from the Baal epic from Ugarit, a city in modern Syria that was destroyed in the 11th century BCE, at least a century before any but the oldest biblical texts. Moreover, the epithet "Cloud-rider" belongs not to the God of Israel but to Baal, whom most Jews and Christians now know because he is the divine arch-rival of the God of Israel.
This is common in the history of religions: the Israelites needed a vocabulary to describe their God, so they borrowed it from the gods of their neighbors, even while they were busy execrating their neighbors for worshipping these very same gods. This is what has always bothered me about religious exclusivism: how can religions that depend upon each other make claims that exclude one another?
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
How theory is like metaphor
I was sitting on the bus today, listening to The Mekons' Rock 'n' Roll and reading Catherine Bell's densely-theoretical but much-heralded book Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice, which I read for the first time as a first-year seminarian back in 2004 and did not understand in the slightest. I'm rereading it now because I discovered my class notes from the day that we discussed it, and frankly I was disgusted by the fact that I didn't even know enough to take any decent notes on the book. No work of religious studies theory is going to call me a chump.
I didn't get too far because I got to thinking about how The Mekons construct a whole ideology around rock 'n' roll on the album I was listening to, and that (somehow) got me to thinking about the purpose of theory. Here at UW Madison's Dept of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, we are hesitant about theory. There are good reasons for this: theory often causes sloppy, uninformed scholars to think that, by applying a theoretical model to a phenomenon they otherwise do not understand, they can say something radical about it.
My favorite example of this is the "peasant revolt" model for the Israelite conquest of Canaan. Recall that, according to the Book of Joshua, the Israelites came up from Egypt and massacred the whole population of the Promised Land, sans a few tricky hangers-on. Judges, by contrast, depicts a more piecemeal settlement. Neither model accords perfectly with the extant historical evidence, and this led some scholars to use a mixture of Marxist political theories and 60s-era Zeitgeist to posit that the "conquest" of Canaan was actually a peasant uprising, spurred by a ragtag bunch of renegade Egyptian Yahwists, that led to the overthrow of the local Canaanite despots and the creation of an egalitarian commonwealth that became the political model for later Israelite covenant ideology.
There is no direct evidence that overtly contradicts this theory, though the Bible certainly does not present it in this way. But there is also scant evidence that supports it. The main reason it caught on was because it had theoretical underpinings and a connection to the fashionable contemporaneous political ideologies of the late 60s.
This is not how theory should work. Theory, on a cognative level, seems to operate in the same way that metaphor does. Metaphor works by allowing you to "map" your knowledge of something you actually do know onto something that you do not know. Take death, for instance. Death is the cessation of all life. But since we have no direct experience of that, we understand death in terms of other things: it is a journey from which you do not return, or a sleep from which you do not wake, or a thief that comes upon you suddenly and takes your most valuable possession (your life).
Theory ought to work in the same way in biblical studies. One of the most persistent problems in studying ancient texts is the lack of evidence. We have the texts themselves, we have some extant inscriptions, and we have some physical evidence. This does not, in itself, add up to a systematic understanding of the ancient world. Theory becomes useful because it allows us to observe human communities and political structures that are available to us, abstract certain general principles from them, and apply these principles to what evidence we do have from the ancient world.
Coming up: a review of Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice.
I didn't get too far because I got to thinking about how The Mekons construct a whole ideology around rock 'n' roll on the album I was listening to, and that (somehow) got me to thinking about the purpose of theory. Here at UW Madison's Dept of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, we are hesitant about theory. There are good reasons for this: theory often causes sloppy, uninformed scholars to think that, by applying a theoretical model to a phenomenon they otherwise do not understand, they can say something radical about it.
My favorite example of this is the "peasant revolt" model for the Israelite conquest of Canaan. Recall that, according to the Book of Joshua, the Israelites came up from Egypt and massacred the whole population of the Promised Land, sans a few tricky hangers-on. Judges, by contrast, depicts a more piecemeal settlement. Neither model accords perfectly with the extant historical evidence, and this led some scholars to use a mixture of Marxist political theories and 60s-era Zeitgeist to posit that the "conquest" of Canaan was actually a peasant uprising, spurred by a ragtag bunch of renegade Egyptian Yahwists, that led to the overthrow of the local Canaanite despots and the creation of an egalitarian commonwealth that became the political model for later Israelite covenant ideology.
There is no direct evidence that overtly contradicts this theory, though the Bible certainly does not present it in this way. But there is also scant evidence that supports it. The main reason it caught on was because it had theoretical underpinings and a connection to the fashionable contemporaneous political ideologies of the late 60s.
This is not how theory should work. Theory, on a cognative level, seems to operate in the same way that metaphor does. Metaphor works by allowing you to "map" your knowledge of something you actually do know onto something that you do not know. Take death, for instance. Death is the cessation of all life. But since we have no direct experience of that, we understand death in terms of other things: it is a journey from which you do not return, or a sleep from which you do not wake, or a thief that comes upon you suddenly and takes your most valuable possession (your life).
Theory ought to work in the same way in biblical studies. One of the most persistent problems in studying ancient texts is the lack of evidence. We have the texts themselves, we have some extant inscriptions, and we have some physical evidence. This does not, in itself, add up to a systematic understanding of the ancient world. Theory becomes useful because it allows us to observe human communities and political structures that are available to us, abstract certain general principles from them, and apply these principles to what evidence we do have from the ancient world.
Coming up: a review of Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A Rock Concert Bestiary
When I wore a younger man's clothes, I went to a lot of shows. I still go to a lot of shows, come to think of it, but the difference is that now I know how to take care of myself. And because I believe that children are our future, I am sharing some of my collected observations about rock shows and the kinds of people to avoid at them.
1. Frat Guy
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Frat guy is probably the easiest beast to spot, but that doesn't make him less dangerous. He wears a backwards khaki hat with a frayed brim, a t-shirt with some kind of logo on it, and a constant asshat grin. He also smells like somebody spilled a bottle of Axe body spray on the floor of a dive bar men's room. He will scream "PLAY FREEBIRD" every time there is a pause in the music. If you are male, he will put his arm around you and call you his Best Bra and ask you if you remember how drunk you guys were the last time you saw O.A.R. together and how fuckin' epic that was. If you are female, he'll just go after your bra.
Survival Tactics: If you're male: just say yeah, dude, it was totally epic. Don't bother telling him you've never met him or that you hate O.A.R. or that this is actually a Lucinda Williams concert. If you're female: Vulcan Crotch Kick.
2. Drunk Girl
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Drunk Girl never comes to shows alone, which is worse because she travels in packs with other Drunk Girls. She will almost certainly spill beer on you, a tendency which is compounded by her propensity to dance arhythmically the whole fucking time, even when there is no music playing, even in a dense crowd. She will inevitably get emotional during one of the songs and call her ex and attempt to hash out their relationship in the middle of the show, and will sob out-of-time with the rhythm of whatever the band is playing.
Survival Tactics: Be gruff and cruel. Under no circumstances should you interact with her.
3. Scenester
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Posture is a dead giveaway. Scenesters always stand stock-still with their arms crossed over their chests. If they really approve, they'll bob their heads in time to the music.
Survival Tactics:Make a point of visibly enjoying the show. That way you both get to feel superior to each other.
4. Hipster Granddad
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Gray hair, perfectly pressed t-shirt tucked into perfectly pressed jeans with a perfectly pressed flannel shirt over top (or tied around his waist.) Incapable of comprehending the concept of general admission--will impose his personal space upon you.
Survival Tactics: Eye contact guarantees at least half an hour of blather about the time he took off work and followed the Eagles' third farewell tour to three cities. Only risk this if you think he might buy you beer.
5. Rock Snob
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Can be distinguished from Scenester by lack of personal hygiene.
Survival Tactics: Three little words: "Taste is subjective." Rock snobs respond to this the way vampires do when you hold a cross up in front of them. If you're more cruel, make utterly absurd claims ("In 1993, I had a three-way with Stephen Malkmus and PJ Harvey, and the next day he recorded Slanted and Enchanted.") because Rock Snob will have to top them.
6. Frontline Groupie
Identification and Classic Behaviors:Dressed for niteclub, not rock show. Will flirt with you to jockey for crowd position. Can sometimes overlap with Drunk Girl, and if so will sometimes disrobe mid-show. Occasionally given to absurd premeditation: a buddy of mine who plays guitar says one time somebody threw a bra on stage at him with a tennis ball tied to it.
Survival Tactics: Stand your ground and glare.
7. Stoner Dude
Identification and Classic Behaviors:Anecdote: I stood next to a cluster of Stoner Dudes when I saw Radiohead at Alpine Valley in 2003. They had a high old time discreetly passing joints between themselves during the main set. After the first encore, they tried to leave, but the crowd was still calling for another encore. So when the band came back on stage (and played "You And Whose Army?"), this one kid kept saying "Dude, that was so fucking awesome" and his friend kept saying, "They're back on stage, man!" It was like eavesdropping on a conversation between Altzheimer patients.
Survival Tactics: Avoid accidentally getting burned. If you're bold, ask to bum. (Note: this only works at jam-band shows.)
8. Purist
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Purists don't go to shows to be entertained or to have a good time. They go to shows to have an Experience. Purists tend to be older males who were There When It First Went Down, man, though you will find them among the younger generation, too. You can identify a Purist by the way he makes loud critical judgments all throughout the show, usig words like "real" and "transcendent." If the band is still cutting new records, you can bank on Purist hating whatever album they're touring to promote. He thinks they Sold Out. He always thinks they Sold Out.
Survival Tactics: Move. He's too far gone to be saved, and he'll just ruin your night if you listen to him.
1. Frat Guy
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Frat guy is probably the easiest beast to spot, but that doesn't make him less dangerous. He wears a backwards khaki hat with a frayed brim, a t-shirt with some kind of logo on it, and a constant asshat grin. He also smells like somebody spilled a bottle of Axe body spray on the floor of a dive bar men's room. He will scream "PLAY FREEBIRD" every time there is a pause in the music. If you are male, he will put his arm around you and call you his Best Bra and ask you if you remember how drunk you guys were the last time you saw O.A.R. together and how fuckin' epic that was. If you are female, he'll just go after your bra.
Survival Tactics: If you're male: just say yeah, dude, it was totally epic. Don't bother telling him you've never met him or that you hate O.A.R. or that this is actually a Lucinda Williams concert. If you're female: Vulcan Crotch Kick.
2. Drunk Girl
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Drunk Girl never comes to shows alone, which is worse because she travels in packs with other Drunk Girls. She will almost certainly spill beer on you, a tendency which is compounded by her propensity to dance arhythmically the whole fucking time, even when there is no music playing, even in a dense crowd. She will inevitably get emotional during one of the songs and call her ex and attempt to hash out their relationship in the middle of the show, and will sob out-of-time with the rhythm of whatever the band is playing.
Survival Tactics: Be gruff and cruel. Under no circumstances should you interact with her.
3. Scenester
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Posture is a dead giveaway. Scenesters always stand stock-still with their arms crossed over their chests. If they really approve, they'll bob their heads in time to the music.
Survival Tactics:Make a point of visibly enjoying the show. That way you both get to feel superior to each other.
4. Hipster Granddad
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Gray hair, perfectly pressed t-shirt tucked into perfectly pressed jeans with a perfectly pressed flannel shirt over top (or tied around his waist.) Incapable of comprehending the concept of general admission--will impose his personal space upon you.
Survival Tactics: Eye contact guarantees at least half an hour of blather about the time he took off work and followed the Eagles' third farewell tour to three cities. Only risk this if you think he might buy you beer.
5. Rock Snob
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Can be distinguished from Scenester by lack of personal hygiene.
Survival Tactics: Three little words: "Taste is subjective." Rock snobs respond to this the way vampires do when you hold a cross up in front of them. If you're more cruel, make utterly absurd claims ("In 1993, I had a three-way with Stephen Malkmus and PJ Harvey, and the next day he recorded Slanted and Enchanted.") because Rock Snob will have to top them.
6. Frontline Groupie
Identification and Classic Behaviors:Dressed for niteclub, not rock show. Will flirt with you to jockey for crowd position. Can sometimes overlap with Drunk Girl, and if so will sometimes disrobe mid-show. Occasionally given to absurd premeditation: a buddy of mine who plays guitar says one time somebody threw a bra on stage at him with a tennis ball tied to it.
Survival Tactics: Stand your ground and glare.
7. Stoner Dude
Identification and Classic Behaviors:Anecdote: I stood next to a cluster of Stoner Dudes when I saw Radiohead at Alpine Valley in 2003. They had a high old time discreetly passing joints between themselves during the main set. After the first encore, they tried to leave, but the crowd was still calling for another encore. So when the band came back on stage (and played "You And Whose Army?"), this one kid kept saying "Dude, that was so fucking awesome" and his friend kept saying, "They're back on stage, man!" It was like eavesdropping on a conversation between Altzheimer patients.
Survival Tactics: Avoid accidentally getting burned. If you're bold, ask to bum. (Note: this only works at jam-band shows.)
8. Purist
Identification and Classic Behaviors: Purists don't go to shows to be entertained or to have a good time. They go to shows to have an Experience. Purists tend to be older males who were There When It First Went Down, man, though you will find them among the younger generation, too. You can identify a Purist by the way he makes loud critical judgments all throughout the show, usig words like "real" and "transcendent." If the band is still cutting new records, you can bank on Purist hating whatever album they're touring to promote. He thinks they Sold Out. He always thinks they Sold Out.
Survival Tactics: Move. He's too far gone to be saved, and he'll just ruin your night if you listen to him.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Posts
