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The Crucifixion And Escapism
By Kathy Simcox, Fri Dec 9th
In analyzing Jesus’ crucifixion with regard to Karl Marx andMircea Eliade, I found a startling similarity: the deep desireto escape the world. The cross symbolizes and encompasses thisdesire, although the two theorists define its manifestationdifferently. As always, Karl Marx interpreted most issues of his time usingthe concept of social struggle. There was always an ongoingbattle between workers and their capitalist oppressors. Societywas fundamentally corrupt so long as a minority (themiddle-class capitalists) had an economic advantage, a sense ofsuperiority, over the masses (the workers). Marx dreamed of aclassless society where everyone was treated equally, fairly,and would be completely satisfied both in their work and intheir relationships with each other.1 But the economic realityof society in his day caused alienation between workers andtheir true selves. Alienation occurred because capitalist economics tookproduction of labor, the very product supposedly reflecting theworker’s true self-expression, and transformed it into amaterial object that is bought, sold, and owned by others. Thiseconomy gave the worker’s product to the rich middle-class whowas able to buy it and thus ruled and oppressed the workingmasses. 2 Physical, social, economic, and spiritual oppressionwas the result of this alienation, and religion was the way out,an escape:
Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of aheartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is theopium of the people.3 The drug opium lessened pain and created fantasies. Marxcompared religion to opium because he saw religion playing thesame role in the life of the poor. Through religion, the painworkers suffered in a cruel and exploitative world was eased bythe fantasy of a supernatural world void of all sorrow andoppression. It is pure escapism.4 This escapism shifted the gazeupward to an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-enduring God whooccupies a perfect Heaven. For Marx, the essence of religion, and for purposes of thispaper, Christianity, is its voice of suffering, its crying outagainst the realities of capitalist exploitation anddegradation.5 The cross is the ultimate symbol of pain andsuffering. Marx’s working class would identify with this symboland cling to it with hope of a better life, a better world, tocome. Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross, and his eventualresurrection, would be proof to the workers that if they justendure this worldly suffering and oppression with patience andlong-suffering, they will too be rewarded eternal life in Heavenwhen they die. The poor would also identify to the humiliationJesus suffered at the hands of the Romans even before he died.They would say, “Hey, the humiliation that happened to Christ ishappening to us. He did nothing to stop it. He endured all thepain and suffering with strength, courage, and patience. If wedo the same in our situation, if we imitate our Lord, we will berewarded in Heaven. Everything here on earth passes away; itdoesn’t matter.” And, they are even forced to recognize andacknowledge the fact that they are dominated, ruled, andpossessed as a privilege from Heaven.6 Marx would say this hope in the cross and in Heavenly salvationare all negative concepts that paralyze and imprison. For him,desire for Heaven made the poor content with their situation onearth. It promoted oppression by presenting a belief system(Christianity) that made poverty and misery acceptable andallowed ordinary people the resignation to their lot in life. Bykeeping their eyes on the symbolic suffering of the cross andstaying content with the thought of the next life, what energieswill the poor ever put into changing their circumstances?7 Not only does belief in the cross have negative connotations,it has evil consequences as well: The social principles of Christianity declare all vile acts ofthe oppressors against the oppressed to be either justpunishment for original sin and other sins, or suffering thatthe Lord in His infinite wisdom has destined for thoseredeemed.8 It is the most extreme version of ideology, of a belief systemwhose motive is simply to provide reasons, excuses even, forkeeping things in society just the way the oppressors like them.For the non-oppressed, for those lucky enough to control themeans of production, this belief system was used to remind thepoor that all social arrangements should stay just the way theyare.9 In this sense, religion was the ultimate form of control.Again, the poor would look to the cross for answers: they wouldlook to forgiveness: Father, forgive them, for they do not knowwhat they are doing. [Luke 23:34] Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom ofHeaven. [Matthew 5:3] Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. [Matthew5:5] Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:10] You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hateyour enemy’. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray forthose who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father inHeaven. [Matthew 5:43-44]10 By adopting this mentality, the oppressed would constantlyforgive their oppressors, thus giving their oppressors even morereason to persecute them. The middle class would be surroundedby lower class, factory-oriented doormats who, in theory, wouldpermit the middle class to walk all over them. Mircea Eliade’s ideology does not reduce religion (or in thiscase, the cross) to economic misery; he doesn’t reduce it toanything. For him, in order to interpret the importance andsignificance of religious experience, we must step out of moderncivilization and enter the world of what he calls “archaic man”.When we do this, he says, we find these primitive people livingon two markedly different planes: the sacred and the profane.The profane realm consists of the everyday, normal businesspeople attend to each day and is relatively unimportant. Thesacred is just the opposite. It is the realm of thesupernatural, of things extraordinary, memorable, and momentous.While the profane is the arena of changeable and chaotic humanaffairs, the sacred is the sphere of order and perfection, thehome of ancestors, heroes, and gods, of beings not of thisworld.11 The role of religion in archaic life is to promoteencounters with the sacred, to put people in touch withsomething otherworldly in character; this character makes themfeel like they have brushed against a reality unlike any other.It’s felt as a dimension of existence alarmingly powerful,enduring, and strangely different. When archaic people set uptheir villages, they do not choose just any place, a place withsimple “profane” surroundings. A village must be founded at aplace where there has been some sacred appearance, orhierophany. Thus, the authority of the sacred controls alldecisions. The community can then be built around this center toshow its divinely ordered structure – it’s a sacred system.12The language of the sacred can be found in symbols and in myth.Here, certain things are seen to resemble or suggest the sacred;they give a hint to the supernatural.
Forestry Commission Wales brings Coed-y-Brenin cafe under its own management
Forestry Commission Wales is going to provide new and improved facilities at its Coed-y-Brenin visitor centre near Dolgellau after bringing control of the caf?ack under its own management with effect from Monday, 10 November. It will spend five days re-stocking and preparing the caf?or re-opening on Saturday, 15 November. On the odd occasion that we've dropped into the cafe whilst heading to North Wales from ourt base near Abergavenny we've been frequently disappointed with slowness of the service so hopefully this issue will be addressed.
The Brechfa Enduro Returns!
Some of you will remember, and maybe taken part in, the inaugural Brechfa Team Enduro. Well the organisers have recently contacted us and it’s going to happen again in 2009. With a promised of a “bigger and better” course the date to put in your diary is the weekend of 15th/16th August. More details can be found on the Bike Brechfa website.
Matt Page (Voltage) - A Season Review!
It seems like such a long time ago that I was planning my 2008 season and now here I am writing a conclusion to what has been my best year of racing to date. After a brilliant end to 2007, winning Dusk ‘til Dawn I had big goals for the following season of racing with my 2 main goals being to win a 24hr solo race, ideally Mountain Mayhem and to defend my Dusk ‘til Dawn title.At the start of 2008 I was living in Cardiff, working as a cycle courier. What could be better than being paid to ride a bike? I was doing no specific training, just trying to add a few things into my work routine to try and improve a few parts of my riding.
What to take with you when you go mountain biking
We've all seen the pictures in the magazines of riders out in the wilds armed with nothing more than a tiny seatpack. But in reality there's plenty you need to take in order to be self-sufficient so that you can help yourself or others should there be an incident. Andrew Joesph, a qualified mountain bike guide, spills the beans on what you should take with you when you go mountain biking.
Penmachno Trail Closed for Cambrian Rally
The trail will be closed for one day on Saturday the 1st of November due to the Cambrian Rally taking place in the forest above Penmachno. Please observe the closure for your own safety. It will be open again on the Sunday.While I've got your attention, if I could remind everyone that there's an Honesty Box at the trailhead and any contributions are always welcome. We're always struggling to find cash to keep the trail maintained. Many thanks.
Rowan's been busy writing!
Mountain Biking EuropeMountain biking is the fastest growing outdoor sport* in the UK, spanning a wide range of ages and abilities. The number of UK specific spots is growing all the time. In addition, there are numerous UK-based holiday companies offering bespoke mountain biking trips overseas as well as several European ski-resorts re-launching themselves as summer centres for the sport.
Premier Demo Series visits CyB!
On the weekend of the 19th and 20th of July the Premier Demo Series will be rolling into Coed y Brenin for the last stop on its 5 location tour of the country.The Premier Demo Series sees bike brands Kona, Cove Bikes, Litespeed, Merlin, BMC, Intense, Rocky Mountain and Maverick all coming together in 5 locations around the country to wheel out their range of bikes to give you, the rider, the chance to demo some of the finest pieces of metal on some of the finest terrain in the country.
The Return of the Beast
Those of you who’ve been wondering what happened to the Brecon Beast enduro last year, well due to personal circumstances, the organisers were forced to take a year out. The good news is that it’s returning for 2008 and will take place Sunday, 14th September. More details can be found on the Brecon Beast website.
First Minister spotted at Coed-y-Brenin !
Wales' First Minister Rhodri Morgan toured one of north Wales's most popular outdoor recreation centres last Friday when he visited the Forestry Commission Wales complex at Coed-y-Brenin, near Dolgelllau.
Girls Only Mountainbiking Club
There has being a great response to the free, Girls Only mountainbike skills course run by, Forest Freeride on behalf of, Mentro Allan. However it would seem that funding for future courses won't be avaliable, so we've come up with something else.DIRTY GIRLS (This may only be a temporary name for the club, as we'd like its founding members to choose the name).
In a village, this symbolmay be a pole, tree, or stone situated at the center of thevillage. The Dome of the Rock is another example. Myths aresymbolic as well, but in a more complicated way. Where poles andtrees are more material and concrete symbols, myths are symbolsput into the shape of a story. But stepping outside of all thisand entering the realm of the profane for a moment, Eliade notesthat most of the things making up ordinary life are in factprofane; they are just themselves taking up space, nothing more.But at the right moment anything profane can be transformed intosomething more than itself – something sacred. Once recognizedas a sacred symbol, an object acquires a double character.13This seems to be the case with the cross. In Roman times, crucifixion was a very popular way of puttingcriminals to death. Before the time of Christ, the cross wasmerely two pieces of wood nailed together; it was something veryprofane used to crucify mere men, nothing more, nothing less.However, with Christ’s death, a transformation, or dialectic ofthe sacred, occurred: the ordinary cross became a holy object bythe infusion of the supernatural. No symbol manages to bringdivinity close to humanity as the figure of the savior-god, thedivinity who shared in mankind’s sufferings, died and rose fromthe grave to redeem them.14 When one looks closer at thecrucifixion, Jesus was by all means not considered sacred byRomans and Jews alike. Even while on the cross, he was still, intheory, a mere man being punished for a crime. So how did thecross become such a powerful symbol of the sacred? When did thisdialectic of the sacred take place? And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave uphis spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn intwo from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. Thetombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had diedwere raised to life. When the centurion and those with him whowere guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that hadhappened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was theSon of God!” [Matthew 27:50-54]15 It seems as though the above quote, coupled with Jesus’proclaimed resurrection, caused the simple profane cross to betransformed into the most sacred symbol of Christianity. And themyth, the story of the crucifixion, makes the material symbol ofthe cross even more sacred by bringing it to life. Symbols andmyths rarely exist in isolation. They seem to always be part oflarger symbol systems. Ever since the cross was declared thesymbol of the divine, it has been carved into walls, worn asjewelry, or put on display in churches all over the world. It’sgestures like these that give the cross its universality: whenpeople see the cross, most know the sacred symbolic nature ofit. In this way the cross, even the crucifixion, is personifiedand the stories about it and its “adventures” come to expressionin myth.16 And to take it further, we hear claims that Jesus’crucifixion and resurrection defeated death. Christians wouldsee the cross in general as a symbol that has truly defeateddeath. For Eliade, it has defeated the profane. Now on toEliade’s theory of escapism. For archaic believers, the eventsof ordinary profane life, the daily rounds of labor andstruggle, are things they desperately wish to escape. They wouldrather be in the perfect realm of the sacred. This is the mostinsistent and heartfelt ache in the soul of all archaic peoples:to return to that point when the world began. A constant themeof archaic ritual and myth is the desire to occupy the world asit came from the Creator’s hands-fresh, innocent, and strong.These believers long for permanence and perfection, as well asescape from their sorrows. In profane life, existence is draband primitives have to deal with empty routines and dailyirritations. Through symbol and myth, they reach back to themoment of perfection when life starts over, full of promise andhope. 17 Eliade would interpret the crucifixion in the samelight. While attending a church service on Good Friday,Christians immerse themselves in the myth of Jesus’ death byperforming rituals pertaining to the cross. These ritualstransport the observer to the time when Christ actually died,taking them out of the troubles and trials of the present dayand reliving the events that brought the promise of hope andjoy.18 This would be considered the ultimate form of escapism.With Eliade, however, I don’t believe he would interpret thisescapism as something negative, like Marx would. ObviouslyEliade doesn’t consider religion an illusion. The interpretations of Marx and Eliade hold many truths for me,and although I will defend Marx to the end I don’t think Eliadewas necessarily wrong. The idea of the sacred and the profanemakes perfect sense: a cross is simply a cross until somethingsupernatural is attached to it. It is then regarded as holy andis seen in a whole new light. When people observe the cross,most know what story is attached to it and it’s this myth thatbrings the cross to life and gives meaning to what was onceconsidered something profane. He does make me wonder, however,if his study and theory of myths has roots in his past. With the ruinous events of the 1930s, Eliade and the rest of the‘new generation’ became casualties of history. Small wonder thathe displays little enthusiasm for retelling and hence relivinghis own anguish.19 Perhaps his theories helped him deal with, even escape, his ownhistory in the world, to escape his pain? There comes a timewhen a person must deal with and eventually accept his ownreality, and escaping to a beginning, a time of innocence,doesn’t help. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1.Web Site 2.Seven Theories of Religion, 141 3.Marx on Religion,167 4.Seven Theories of Religion, 141-142 5.Marx on Religion, 86.Ibid, 173 7.Seven Theories of Religion, 142-143 8.Marx onReligion, 185 9.Seven Theories of Religion, 138, 142 10.The NIVStudy Bible, 1444-1445, 1584 11.Seven Theories of Religion,163-164 12.Ibid, 165-167 13.Ibid, 169-170 14.Ibid, 170, 17215.The NIV Study Bible, 1485 16.Seven Theories of Religion, 17617.Ibid, 179-180 18.Four Theories of Religion, 75 19.Ibid, 78 REFERENCES 1. "Marx on Religion." edited by John Raines. Philadelphia, PA:Temple University Press, 2002. 2. Barker, Kenneth, ed. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids, MI:Zondervan Publishing House, 1995. 3. Pals, Daniel L. "Religion as Alienation: Karl Marx." In SevenTheories of Religion, 138-42. New York/Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress, 1996. 4. Pals, Daniel L. "The Reality of the Sacred: Mircea Eliade."In Seven Theories of Religion, 163-80. New York/Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press, 1996. 5. Strenski, Ivan. Four Theories of Myth in Twentieth CenturyHistory. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa Press. 6. www.faithnet.org. About the author:About the Author Kathy Simcox, Columbus, Ohio, United Stateshrdude28@hotmail.com Kathy works as an Administrative Assistant in the College of theArts at The Ohio State University. She holds a BA in Psychologyand is currently working on a second BA in Religious Studies. Inaddition to writing, her passions include hiking, biking,kayaking, photography, and singing in her Lutheran church choir.She is also known to read an occasional book.
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