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Fictional or Artistic Works That Explore Spiritual Themes?

I have a friend who has beautiful icons on her wall. She's Russian Orthodox. I know nothing of that religion. I try to ask her about them, and their stories, but she's an aspie too, so she alludes all questioning. lol
 
Nairobi said:
I find stories of such martyrs very inspiring, too.
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There's a book in every Amish home called "The Martyr's Mirror", I bought it. It is so amazing. It was published centuries ago, and it contains graphic eye witness stories and intricate woodcut illustrations of people who died for their faith or died because they refused to fight war. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. You really should think about buying it. It's a massive hardcover book, written in the 1600s.

Martyrs Mirror
 
Yeshuasdaughter said:
I have a friend who has beautiful icons on her wall. She's Russian Orthodox. I know nothing of that religion. I try to ask her about them, and their stories, but she's an aspie too, so she alludes all questioning. lol
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Ha :-) I am Eastern Orthodox, as well. Maybe we are all a little too quiet. I don't like to debate about religion, so I don't talk about it too much - because so many people seem to want to draw you into debate nowadays. I had a particularly terrible experience last year with a friend who wouldn't stop harassing me about being Christian in general.

You could try asking your friend about the martyr Maria Skobtsova, otherwise known as Mother Maria of Paris. She had a very unusual life - raised in Russian aristocracy, became an atheist and a socialist revolutionary, before returning to her Christian faith and becoming a social working nun. She hid Jews from Nazis in Paris until they found her out and sent her to a concentration camp, where she was killed just a few days before liberation.

Maria icon.jpg
maria-skobtsova.png
 
Nairobi said:
Something about this icon overlooking the street below - I wish I lived somewhere with a sight like this, where I could look up during an ordinary day and glimpse such a beautiful icon as I walk by. This is in Linthuania, the icon is known as Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.

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Some Roman Catholics and I imagine Russian and Greek orthodox Christians have smaller versions in their homes ,commonly a trifold replica of the crucifixion
 
Yeshuasdaughter said:
There's a book in every Amish home called "The Martyr's Mirror", I bought it. It is so amazing. It was published centuries ago, and it contains graphic eye witness stories and intricate woodcut illustrations of people who died for their faith or died because they refused to fight war. It brings tears to my eyes every time I read it. You really should think about buying it. It's a massive hardcover book, written in the 1600s.

Martyrs Mirror
Click to expand...
That looks really interesting! Have you read this amazing firsthand account of ancient Christian martyrdom? I find it very important and moving to remember and honor such people in my heart. They are very inspiring.

Primary Sources - The Martyrdom Of Saints Perpetua And Felicitas | From Jesus To Christ | FRONTLINE | PBS
 
Okay, my last post on Mother Maria - sorry, but I do find it very inspiring. Here is background context for the poem I am about to post:

"In March 1942, the decree came from Berlin that Jews in all occupied countries must wear the yellow star. Jews were forbidden access to nearly all public places. Shopping was restricted to one hour per day. 'There is no Jewish question, there is a Christian question' Mother Mary said to her friend Mochulski. 'Don't you see that the fight is against Christianity? If we were true Christians, we'd all be wearing the star. Now is the time to testify our faith.'"


Then she wrote this poem called "Israel":

Two triangles, a star,

The shield of King David, our forefather.

This is election, not offense.

The great path and not an evil.

Once more in a term fulfilled,

Once more roars the trumpet of the end;

And the fate of a great people

Once more is by the prophet proclaimed.

Thou art persecuted again, O Israel,

But what can human malice mean to thee,

who have heard the thunder from Sinai?
 
My heart is touched by great paintings of Jewish sages, poring over the Tanakh (The Holy Bible), searching over for pearls of wisdom in its ancient words:

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iu
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I really love photography...I don't know much about individual photographers. But the following things, including when captured by photography, really moves me and makes me think about God: deserts, the night sky, the milky way, moon phases, forests, autumn, spring, and animals of every kind. I wish I lived somewhere with less light pollution, I think we are meant by God to see such a beautiful night sky every clear night - instead, it's a rare treat, if it ever happens. So I am obsessed with photos of the night sky. And unless if we move to the desert, I also have to just be happy with photos.

autumn and forests.jpg
Baobab trees.jpg
bird.jpg
Joshua Tree.jpeg
spring and forests.jpg
 
Nairobi said:
Okay, my last post on Mother Maria - sorry, but I do find it very inspiring. Here is background context for the poem I am about to post:

"In March 1942, the decree came from Berlin that Jews in all occupied countries must wear the yellow star. Jews were forbidden access to nearly all public places. Shopping was restricted to one hour per day. 'There is no Jewish question, there is a Christian question' Mother Mary said to her friend Mochulski. 'Don't you see that the fight is against Christianity? If we were true Christians, we'd all be wearing the star. Now is the time to testify our faith.'"


Then she wrote this poem called "Israel":

Two triangles, a star,

The shield of King David, our forefather.

This is election, not offense.

The great path and not an evil.

Once more in a term fulfilled,

Once more roars the trumpet of the end;

And the fate of a great people

Once more is by the prophet proclaimed.

Thou art persecuted again, O Israel,

But what can human malice mean to thee,

who have heard the thunder from Sinai?
Click to expand...
research father hugh O Flaherty I think you'd like him
 
Nairobi said:
I really love photography...I don't know much about individual photographers. But the following things, including when captured by photography, really moves me and makes me think about God: deserts, the night sky, the milky way, moon phases, forests, autumn, spring, and animals of every kind. I wish I lived somewhere with less light pollution, I think we are meant by God to see such a beautiful night sky every clear night - instead, it's a rare treat, if it ever happens. So I am obsessed with photos of the night sky. And unless if we move to the desert, I also have to just be happy with photos.

View attachment 69528 View attachment 69529 View attachment 69530 View attachment 69531 View attachment 69532
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These are very lovely!
 
I am not Buddhist, but I respect the peaceful, gentle nature of the faith. I cried so much when the Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan were destroyed. I watched the video on OPB when it happened, and just cried and cried.

There are pueblo-type clefts in the mountain. It must have been quite a complex back in antiquity. The image of this reminds me to teach the next generation to be open minded to other people's beliefs and to appreciate other cultures.

iu
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Streetwise said:
did you understand Marc chagalls paintingsView attachment 69533
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I did research on that painting by Chagall last night, and it turns out that the clowns and circus performers represent religious leaders like rabbis and elders. The background is dark, because it seemed to him that the world was getting darker and darker all around him, and the only joy in any of it was the people keeping faith alive. And they were perched precariously in the darkness as the last bit of light.

During WW2 Europe was a very dark and scary place. That is why the background is dark

The circus performers represent people keeping faith alive. They are the light in the world.
 
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Nairobi said:
Are there any fictional or artistic works (books, movies, paintings, etc.) that explore or inspire exploration of spiritual themes that you have been moved or intrigued by? In terms of books, I mean books other than religious scriptures (not to discount religious scriptures at all, of course, I just think that could be its own, separate thread). It doesn't have to be high art, it could be a comic book series.:)
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It’s important to emphasize that in both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Faiths, icons and certain religious artworks have specific rules and meanings to them that are specifically meant to educate and inspire the Faithful; albeit not all Catholic art is iconographic or follows those strict rules, there have been liberties taken with that artwork since the Renaissance. In fact there has actually been a lot of debate and controversy surrounding Catholic art in recent years:
 
Nairobi said:
Something about this icon overlooking the street below - I wish I lived somewhere with a sight like this, where I could look up during an ordinary day and glimpse such a beautiful icon as I walk by. This is in Linthuania, the icon is known as Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn.

View attachment 69520 View attachment 69521
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It’s also known as Our Lady of Mercy or Divine Mercy, there is a lot of fascinating history behind this icon; it’s credited with liberating the city from the Swedish Empire and also plays a role in St. Faustina’s life and her role in bringing about the Divine Mercy Devotion.

I really like this icon as well. :)
 
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