Fear in Life Leads to Violence in Religious Art

THE HUFFINGTON POST
By Ian 

The reason I decided to call my collection of essays "Theater of Cruelty" is that many of them deal, in one way or another, with violence. But I am interested in the way artists and writers deal with our violent impulses, not so much out of prurience, though that can never be dismissed, as out of fear. Should a distinction be made between schlock and art? People still need to see their fears, their lusts, and their darker impulses sublimated in fantasy. Some will demand more sophisticated expressions than others. But I still think Oscar Wilde had it right: "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all." Fear must be one reason why violent death is such a common feature in religious art. [link]

  • The central image of Christianity, even though it is propagated as a message of peace, of turning the other cheek, is one of a very violent death. Christian art is soaked in blood. For every Madonna and child there is a depiction of a saintly man or woman being ripped to shreds or burned at the stake.
  • Buddhism is a philosophy of peace and compassion. But some Buddhist imagery is full of violence, death and decay. Such frightening and disgusting pictures were meant to loosen the bonds of believers from material life. But their other purpose was to help overcome the fear of death. Images of Hell were a warning too, as in other religions. And grotesque demons were sculpted or painted to protect people against even more fearful dangers.