Fussen
What is a cathedral? A piece of artwork, architecture, culture, a place of sanctuary or a place of sacredness? Where do you fall into this definition? As a westerner, it is hard for me to understand life without some form of Christianity; whether it is the undivided faith or the knowledge of the Christian myths, it is prevalent throughout western culture. I, for one, was raised Anglican. I was never devout, although I did identify on some level with the church. It gave me refuge when I sought it, always welcomed me when I ventured in, and never judged me in my absence, but it was never a solid identity for me either. My identity as a Christian was challenged last summer when I wrote my senior thesis on Paradise Lost. Suddenly, I was being asked to look at the Christian myth as just that, a myth. No different than the Roman or Greek gods that captured my fantasy as child. But this myth, my myth, I was forced to recognize the possibility of Christianity being a similar fantasy. It was a challenge at the time; to take something so personal and analyze in an academic setting, but now, it is difficult for me to go back. The monastery in Fussen reminded me of this challenge. The frescos on the walls and ceiling (the oldest in Bavaria) tell familiar biblical stories, but now, after my studies and papers, they are different stories. I think that is part of traveling. I’m still learning how these stories have changed, how these different aspects of the stories have changed me, discovering new paintings in far off churches reminds me of the revisions. Have my studies revised my beliefs so drastically that I have “lost” this identity? Or has it simply morphed into a different belief?
-
Pip’s Site Pimp’d by:
