Thursday, February 19, 2009

The burial of the dead

As Dr Johnson might have observed: Sir, a Fundamentalist Christian's talking about Aesthetics is like a dog's preaching. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all. Here it is done on the subject of George Dickie's Aesthetics: an Introduction; to cut to the chase, the reviewer concludes that a hatrack cannot be a work of art and that Dickie is of "the dead who bury their dead," whatever that means. Oh well, at least she tried.

The Inmates, from 1980:

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Let the dead bury their dead" is a saying of Jesus from the gospels, Matthew 8:22 and Luke 9:60. According to Internet it is known as one of the "harsh" sayings of Jesus. The reviewer seems to be extending the implicit distinction between Christians and non-Christians to their artistic production and its critics. We can has moral dualism in aesthetics!

Paul said...

Thank you, my fact-checking cuz. From one of Jesus' bad days, I assume; perhaps after a night of turning water into wine. But what does it mean? Jerry Garcia not withstanding, how would the dead have their dead, let alone bury them?

Lyndon said...

One a quick look around I gather the implication is that those who are not out evangelising might as well be dead, irrespective of whether they're still walking about and talking.

Of that, as a disciple, your family are dead to you.

Lends new terror to the idea of a Christian burial, anyway.

Paul said...

Onward Christian zombies.

Paul said...

Or rather, heathen zombies.

Anonymous said...

How interesting. I've just written an SFy piece for my blog in which zombies take over the Southern United States...and anti-zombie efforts are hampered by pro-zombie fundies...

Craig Y

Paul said...

Craig,

I trust you will make some reference to that moment after the Crucifixion when the dead rise and roam the streets of Jerusalem.

Anonymous said...

Incidentally, mon frere, are you familiar with the concept of Zombie Jesus? Or to put it another way, wasn't it suspicious that Christianity spread so fast within the Roman Empire...???

Craig Y ;)