Sex, Sprituality, and the reprocussions of both in the world of Silence
In the world of Silence, as in the real world, religion and spirituality can help to establish identity, as well as oppress and obscure it. Below are student written essays exploring both within the context of the play Silence.
The Anglo-Saxons and their Beliefs
Written by Appalachian State University Student: Tywuane Lewis
The Anglo-Saxons and their Beliefs
The amalgamation and transference from the pagan societal beliefs to the beliefs of Christianity in early England was a transformation like no other that had been seen in the world at that time. With surrounding cultures existing during the reformation of early England, Anglo-Saxon Christianity began to form a new outlook on life. Amongst those transformations were the terms on which people began to live their lives in accordance to the guidelines of their newly reformed religious beliefs which would reverberate and change most of their customs and day to day routines. This sort of belief system which changed the lives of not only the early Anglo-Saxons but also the newly reformed and converted Vikings is something that is heavily seen in the play Silence. Also because of the rich historical background that the play provides to the audience certain views of religion seem to meld together between the Viking and Anglo-Saxon cultures, for example the concept of the “Day of Judgment” in Anglo-Saxon culture or “Ragnarok” in Viking culture.
The Texts
There are a culmination of different books and stories that make up the entirety of the religious text for the Anglo-Saxon Christian religion. And found in these scriptures and writings are the events that are pertinent to the foundation of the religion itself, which includes the “End of Days,” which is found in the last book of the modern day King James Bible. “There was no scholarship without books, and there were no books in early Anglo-Saxon England unless they were obtained from abroad” (Harting, 1972). In the beginning there wasn’t a real basis of text for many people of the Anglo-Saxon religion to base their readings and studying of the religion off of. Many of their religious texts were taken from foreign lands or donated by established monasteries of the Anglo-Saxon Christian religion. Many of these donated books that hailed from places such as Anglo-Saxon monasteries came from log standing libraries within the monasteries, it wasn’t until years later well into the establishment of Christianity that version of the religious books actually formed the King James version of the Bible that we have today. Which in turn gave us the description of the “End of Days” that we have now.
An Interpretation
The events that are described in the book of Revelations were not the exact descriptions that were known to the Anglo-Saxons because of the many different interpretation of the gospel that were floating out there in the world at the time. But the aim of the story all still added up to the inevitable ending conclusion that some people were not yet ready to face. And then the book itself that we have in the modern age has been modified in a hundred different ways which includes leaving out certain books, leaving out stories written by different prophets who were lending their testaments to the formation of the text. The views on the “apocalypse” has varied little since the time of the bible’s inception into the Christian religion but the modern take on the apocalypse lends for better understanding of people who are involved in this religion. It also lends the opportunity for people to understand why early Anglo-Saxon Christians were so willing to change their entire lifestyle to be able to appease not only themselves but God and his acceptance of them into his eternal kingdom. “An apocalypse is a specific kind of literate with no modern equivalent” (www.crivoice.org). Even though this kind of literature has been taught and studied for millennia the modern interpretation of it will never truly live up to its actual impact in the earlier eras. But it still offers a good glimpse into what Anglo-Saxons were choosing to invest their lives into.
It Is Better for the Soul
Nonetheless Anglo-Saxons were decisive on doing everything in their power to make sure that their salvation was secured. “The acceptance of the Christian faith always implied not merely the holding of a particular philosophy, but the living of a particular kind of life in the world” (Deanesly, 1962). Christians were persistent in doing the right thing so that they were viewed righteously in their faith that they had to abstain from a lot of daily activities that they would normally do if they were in fact not Christian. They would also have to partake I n routines or behaviors that would make them be seen in a positive light to their Sovereign Lord. They would have to abstain from eating certain foods to attest with certain ceremonial times in the year like Lent, or they would have to behave with one another in a manner that went against human nature. For instance, with the act of having sex, when it came to this act being performed between a husband and his wife they were encouraged to do the act of reproduction at certain points in the week, and were prohibited from having carnal knowledge of one another on specific days of the week. It was also encouraged that pleasure was never to be taken thought f while engaging in the act of sex, because it is meant for humans to be fruitful, not for the to enjoy themselves. They also had to behave a certain way in public and in private. They were always under the impression that if the clergy could not see their actions then God himself would be able to see their actions. So they were always under the scrutiny of someone who could judge their actions, if not the divine power, then the clerical power.
Consequences
If the accordance of this behavior was not followed strictly then punishment would be dealt to anyone would did not find themselves in compliance with the guidelines of the religion. Apart from having to absolve yourself from your sin and then admitting them to your clergyman. Your clergyman would then give you a task to do to make up for your wrong doing. The commands of the region were still not followed then the ultimate consequence would be waiting for you after death. That consequence being that you would not be granted eternal life and you would most likely suffer an eternity in the fires of the pit of hell. This sort of scare tactic did not come out of left field though, “for Anglo-Saxon Christian, only the psychodrama of sin and redemption can fully explain an otherwise chaotic and arbitrary existence. This drama provides a template for understanding desire, both human and divine” (Lees, 1999). So with the understanding of what one could and could not do with accordance to the confines of Christian religion one could fully understand the consequence that they would bring upon themselves when their day of judgement finally comes.
​
Works Cited
"ANGLO-SAXON DISCOVERY." Ashmolean Museum: Anglo-Saxon Discovery. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2016.
Brooks, Nicholas. Anglo-Saxon Myths: State and Church, 400-1066. N.p.: Continuum International Group, 2000. Print.
​
Brown, Michelle. The Lindisfarne Gospels: Society, Spirituality and the Scribe. Toronto: U of Toronto, 2003. Print.
​
Higham, N. J., and Martin J. Ryan. The Anglo-Saxon World. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
Higham, N. J. The Convert Kings: Power and Religious Affiliation in Early Anglo-Saxon England. Manchester, UK: Manchester UP, 1997. Print.
​
"Khan Academy." Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2016.
​
Laing, Lloyd, and Jennifer Laing. Anglo-Saxon England. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1979. Print.
​
Lees, Clare A. Tradition and Belief: Religious Writing in Late Anglo-Saxon England. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota, 1999. Print.
​
"New Page 2." New Page 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2016.
​
"The Religion of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings (The Vikings)." The Religion of the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings (The Vikings). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2016.
​
Stafford, Pauline. A Companion to the Early Middle Ages: Britain and Ireland C.500-c.1100. Chichester: Blackwell, 2009. Print.
British Catholicism's Relationship with Sex in Silence’s Time Period
Written by Appalachian State University Student: Jake Roberts
Silence is a play that, among with many themes, tackles the issue of sexual identity and expression in conflict with the standards of religious institution. The cast of characters struggle to reconcile their feelings and desires with the expectations and norms of their respective cultures, creating interpersonal tension as well as moments of introspection. The source of this conflict, as you will find out watching the play, is an institution. The dogmatic belief system of the Catholic Church, as portrayed in the show, affects and has partial influence on each of the characters’ feelings and expressions of their sexuality, and it comes off as a domineering, repressive religion. How much of it was true to the real world?
Penitentials
What must be understood is that most of British Catholicism's association with sexuality does not come from the Vatican, but rather, from the Gaelic penitentials. The penitentials, originating from Irish monks and confessors, were a series of written handbook guides for prayer, behavior, and penance compiled and revised from the 6th century up until at least the 11th century (Brundage 153). They eventually made their way across British isles during the centuries of their circulation. They were not an ingrained institution, but rather, as scholar Vern Bullough noted: “the attempts of the Christian Church to impose its will upon a society that, though nominally Christian, had not yet accepted Christian morality” (Matter 87). Nevertheless, it can be assumed that what was written in the penitentials was reflective of and influential on church attitudes.
Sexual Expression
The church, seeing sexual passion and indulgence as threats to a sound body and mind, looked to the penitentials to prescribe and dictate, in great lengths, ways for people to avoid sinful indulgence. To the church, virginity was seen as the ideal state of being, “because to keep it demanded effort, and not just in extreme cases, as in those of the virgin martyrs and virgin spouses of late Antiquity, who suffered pressure to marry or to copulate” (Redgate 82). Virginity required mastery of the body's natural desire for sex.The regulation of sexual activity dominates the content of the penitentials, whose writers took the view that sex was punishable under almost all circumstances.
Regarding Marital Sex
Marital sex, for example, was still seen as inherently sinful, and was only a concession offered by God as a means of procreation. Sexual activity within marriage outside of procreation, and without long periods of continence and celibacy, was seen as a sinful indulgence to lust. The penitentials prescribe a rigid criteria for when and how it was acceptable for married couples to procreate. It could only be done on certain days (if you wanted to procreate during a holy day, you were sinning according to the rules), during the night, and could not involve positions other than the man directly on top of the wife.
Homosexuality
As for sexual orientation, there were even greater stipulations, especially regarding men. According to the penitentials, homosexuality was to be repented for a length and manner depending on age, gender, and degree of offense. A boy kissing another boy, for example, was to fast for six to ten days depending on how lewd the kiss was. Acts of sodomy ranged from two years, if they were boys, to four, if they were men, and it could even go to seven years if they were habitual about it. Said periods of penance required the offenders to fast on a diet of bread, salt, dry vegetables, and water for the first few years, and then for what remained, abstain from meat and wine. Oddly enough, the penitentials do not give much consideration to acts of lesbianism or solo female sexual acts, as the only thing noted is that those who sexual acts with themselves or other women serve unspecified penance for three years (Matter 88). Ironically, as E. Ann Matter notes, scholars agree that women were perhaps more advantageous in hiding from sexual judgement by living the secluded, cloistered life of nunnery. Evidence for such conjecture includes manuscripts found in abandoned women’s monasteries featuring lesbian themes and imagery (Matter).
Works Consulted
Brundage, James A. Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe. Chicago: U of
Chicago, 1987. Print.
Madigan, Kevin. Medieval Christianity: A New History. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 2015.
Print.
Matter, E. Ann. "My Sister, My Spouse: Woman-Identified Women in Medieval Christianity."
Journal of Feminist Studies in Religion 2.2 (1986): 81-93. JSTOR. Web.
McNeill, John T. The Celtic Penitentials and Their Influence on Continental Christianity. Paris:
É. Champion, 1923. Archive.org. Web. 5 Apr. 2016.
Redgate, A. E. Religion, Politics and Society in Britain 800-1066. Florence, KY: Taylor and
Francis, 2014. Print.
Mystic Vision in Early Christian Society
Written by Appalachian State University Student: Finn Regan
​
Significance of Mystic Visions:
Visions played a significant role in medieval Christianity. “The role of the vision was to bring the deeper reality to the surface where it could be experienced and verified.” (Adams) Visions were seen as a manifestation of invisible or inaudible faith, and were thus held in high esteem. (Adams) Visions strengthened the relationships between humans and the spiritual world-God, Christ, etc. The characters in Silence saw mystic visions as a way to understand God and his greater plan, as well as a means of displaying their distinguished spiritual status.
Christian Mysticism Overview:
Christian mysticism is defined as the, “Belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender.” (Mysticism) The practice is employed in order to ‘achieve oneness with God’. (Olson) Medieval philosophers placed a large amount of emphasis on gaining knowledge of God-or forming a personal relationship with him. (Christian Mysticism - History of Christian Mysticism.) This could be achieved through thought, meditation, and contemplation. (Olson)
Use of Visions:
As previously stated, visions were used to bridge the gap between the spiritual and human world by connecting someone personally with the divine. A vision could take the form of an apparition, dream, or even a strong and passionate emotional outpouring. (site) Visions, and mysticism in general, were used to pursue spiritual freedom. People who communed with God in this way did not need the same heavy interpretation of religion that the church was providing, they could ask questions and receive answers on their own.
Treatment of Mysticism and Visions:
Due to the personal nature of mysticism and visions, there was a disconnect between Christian mystics and the church. Mystics were saying things about the Christian faith that was very different than the churches established teachings, and they were using their visions to try and prove their beliefs. Prolific mystics, like St. John of the Cross or St. Teresa of Avila, were viewed as heretics by the church. (The History of Medieval Christian Mysticism) However, there were people who believed Christian mystics, and who followed the teachings and revelations of their visions.
Works Cited:
Adams, G. W. (2007). Visions in Late Medieval England : Lay Spirituality and Sacred Glimpses of the Hidden Worlds of Faith. Leiden: Brill.
Wilson, K. M. (n.d.). Christian History Institute. Retrieved February 15, 2016, from https://www.christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/women-in-medieval-church-a-gallery-of-christian-women-writers-of-the-medieval-world/
Definition of mysticism in English:. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/mysticism
Olson, H. A. (2010). Earthly Order and the Oneness of Mysticism: Hugh of Saint Victor and Medieval Classification of Wisdom. Knowledge Organization, 37(2), 121-138
Christian Mysticism - History Of Christian Mysticism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://science.jrank.org/pages/10349/Christian-Mysticism-History-Christian-Mysticism.html
"The History of Medieval Christian Mysticism." The History of Medieval Christian Mysticism. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2016.