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The oyster and the shell
[Frederica Mathewes-Green 03/13 02:28 PM]Rod, I think your initial post today considers two separate, but related things: the physical environment, and the kind of life that grows there. An oyster and a shell. You speak of: a physical space that makes it easier to conserve the kinds of cultural virtues conservatives prize. Reader Jason takes you up on the "thought experiment" about church buildings, and points out that a beautiful church building can be an empty shell, while a thriving community might get along fine in a very plain building.
I think one side of the argument is indisputable — that a healthy community is enhanced by a fittingly beautiful environment. A thriving megachurch might discover even greater awe if they worshipped in a space that looked less like a classroom and more like a place "fit for a King." It's funny that people get this instinctively when they plan a wedding: they know that it matters that every detail that touches the senses be as beautiful as possible. Yet, because Christian faith is thought to be chiefly about communicating ideas, the spaces where we worship often look like just spaces where we talk.
But on the other hand, a beautiful worship space doesn't necessarily create a worshipping community. Likewise, the homes we live in (and I too live in a century-old home) don't necessarily foster "the kinds of cultural virtues conservatives prize."
I believe that there is something humanizing about living with items that are old and handmade. I once read a good piece of advice to decorate your home entirely with original art rather than reproductions, even if it's art you make yourself. But, while living in an old home with handmade decor is good for the soul, it doesn't seem to ensure conservative values — lots of very liberal folks enjoy the same lifestyle — nor does it alone create community. My local community is less with my immediate neighbors who live in similar houses, and more with the members of my church, whose homes differ a great deal. Community is just so loosely tied to geography any more.
Maybe you could give us some more thoughts connecting of how a beautiful built environment effects (1) specifically conservative values and (2) community?
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