Star Trek Community

Last Thursday our religion class watched a documentary on the phenomenon of Star Trek. The documentary made us think about non-traditional formulations of pilgrimage and religion. We were asked to think about select ideas and key terms from the course and connect them to what we saw in the video. The terms we were asked to relate to the video were features of religion, examples of the Turner Model, and examples of the Eliade Model. Also we were asked to identify similarities to eastern and western religions, and relationships with the ideas of Freud, Marx, Durkheim, or Frazier.

            There are a variety of features from religion in Star Trek Fandom. Features of religion include sacredness, rituals, languages, and relics.  In the video, the Star Trek fans visit conventions as often as possible. Fans believe that the conventions are something sacred in a sense that they are something different from the day-to-day routine of thinking. Souvenirs are examples of relics and material expression in religion. ‘Trekkers’ even have a common language shared among them.  The shared experience is a community formation and a larger connection for the group. Since conventions are held somewhere in the world every weekend, visiting them is considered a ritual. A ritual is something reoccurring. Every Trek fan believes in the moral component of Star Trek and this is a huge unified believe the system. They are all compelled to do service to others and be better beings.

            Going to the conventions is a very good example of a pilgrimage. It is possible to distinguish two models of pilgrimage but first I will explain the Turner Model. The first step of the Turner Model is to leave the world of convention, and in the case of the four women in the documentary, this is exactly what they are doing. All four women have normal lives at home, but they are friends and like to meet up at the conventions. Crossing the limin is leaving and entering into the convention itself. Since the conventions are sacred and different from their world of convention, this is a good example of the first step. Meeting at the conventions with the same passion for Star Trek and being together is creating anti-structure and forming a communitas. In the story of the young girl who wrote a letter to one of the main characters, she tells him about her desire to commit suicide. She eventually has an element of transformation and goes on to finish her degree. This story represents metaphorical death. When fans decide to leave and make their way back home is the return to convention back to their normal lives.

            The Eliade Model is also presented in the documentary. Once again, sacred space for the Trek fans is the conventions because it draws them away from the chaos of normal life to a more real place. Many for those interviewed said that they felt normal at the conventions and they felt as if they truly belonged there. ‘Trekkers’ keep chaos at bay by buying relics and other items of material expressing. When fans take these items home they are creating a sort of portable axis mundi. That way, they will always have the connection to the permanent axis mundi of the conventions. An axis mundi can be any city associated with Trek. The main axis mundi, where every Trek fan wants to be is located in New York City. 

            There are many similarities to eastern and western religions shown in the ‘trekkies’ video. Starting with eastern religions with a focus in Hinduism, the characters from Star Trek are viewed as Gods. The ‘trekkers’ are free to worship whichever individual deity they choose. Star Trek is an example of the way and essentially ultimate reality. Eastern religions are more centered on orthopraxis, which is the order in the way you behave. Orthopraxis can be expressed through yoga for discipline. The connection between Star trek and orthopraxis in eastern religion is the clubs that fans participate in. The clubs strive to do good deed and be better people. Similarities can also be made with western religions and Orthodoxy. Orthodox puts an emphasis on text and a special creed. Star Trek indeed has a creed called the prime directive. The prime directive calls for non-interference with other people and has a pacifist like principle. The script from the Star Trek show is the sacred text.

            Freud, Marx, Durkheim, and Frazier all had different ideologies of religion. Many of the theorists’ ideas are represented in Star Trek fandom. Frazer believed that myths had a lot to do with religion. Star Trek consists of a whole bunch of stories which it’s fan consider very sacred. Emile Durkheim thought religion was a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. He also believed that ultimate reality was the group or the clan unified by a totem. ‘Trekkies’ all have a system of beliefs in Star trek and are each united by a character. Some people believe that religion is crazy and that it is not real. Like Freud, people look at the fans of Star Trek and think that there is something mentally abnormal about them. For some fans, Star Trek is a universe of obsession, and this can be perfectly linked to Freud’s idea of religion. Marx also believed that religion was an illusion and it is the sigh of the oppressed creature. Going back to the story of the young girl who sent the letter of her desired suicide, there is a certain element of transformation after she releases a cry for help through her love of Star Trek. After she sent the letter she turned around and found her own goodness in herself.

            Watching the Trekkies video and connecting key terms from class was a great way to review and has helped me to understand more the ways religion can be present in non-traditional forms. There was so much evidence that fandom can be considered religion that I can now say I believe it is a religion too. 

Elvis Presley Religion

Elvis Presley was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Texas. Little did he know that he would grow up to create “a new era of American music and popular culture.”  Much less did he think he was going to start a phenomenon based on his talent, good looks, and touching lyrics. This phenomenon would grow into a universal faith shared by so many people. His followers honor him for the connection he brings through his lyrics. They relate to Elvis by sharing the pain so beautifully expressed in his songs. When Elvis died in August of 1977, small gatherings began to appear at the gates of Graceland in the first few years after his death. The gatherings have become known as Death Week, and are the ‘cry of the oppressed creature’ for those who loved him. I believe that there is a religion of Elvis and there is plenty of evidence to support it.

            Death week can be closely identified as a pilgrimage. There is evidence in many aspects of Death Week that relate to the terms we have talked about in class about the steps to a pilgrimage. Examples from the Turner and Eliade Model are presented. The idea of a religion of Elvis is heavily supported in the selection we read from “New York Times”.  Rituals following the Elvis culture lately are beginning to take shape of an actual faith.

            Edith and Victor Turner created the idea of a pilgrimage referred to as the Turner Model. The Turner Model involves four major steps. Step one requires a person to leave his or her world of convention, or what is most comfortable. This is leaving the normal way of life for something new. In the article we read, leaving to go to Graceland for Death Week could be leaving the world of convention. Second is to create a different structure in life. Crossing the gates of Graceland and entering into a mental state of mourning and sorrow is an example of the second step. Also, crossing the gate is liminality, seeing the gate as the limin or threshold. “The central focus [of Death Week] is on loss, on hurt, on the moment of grieving communion at the grave.” (Rosenbaum 1) Aggregation of an entire group of people with this state mind is a perfect example of the third step in the Turner Model, to form a new community. The new community is called communitas, which are the sacred people. The last step to the Turner Model is a metaphorical death followed by the return to normal ways. Because symbols of metaphorical death are fire and ice, it is appropriate to say the action of holding candles and tears coming from the community are an example of the last step. When the ritual is over and the pilgrims have said their goodbyes, they all return to their normal way of life.

            Eliade believed that there was a birthing place in the world and at the center of this place was most sacred. He said that anything that is sacred is everything that is close to the navel or the center of the earth. An axis mundi is a connecting point between heaven and earth. The axis mundi can be represented as something like a tree or hill. Coincidentally, Elvis’s grave is located at the top of the garden. Carrying their lighted candles and shedding tears, pilgrims “circle around to the flat bronze grave marker and pause there to commune with the spirit of the departed king.” (Rosenbaum 1) Circumambulating around the axis mundi demonstrates clearly the cosmology idea of Mircea Eliade. He also believed that there was something sacred about the image an ideal house and in this case is Elvis’s house. Graceland is the center of the world for those who love him and the farther they get from it, the more profane the world seems.

            Every aspect of religion is involved in the faith of Elvis. “Elvis was the ‘taboo man’ he was a healing figure…inaccessible to the ordinary.”(Rosenbaum 6) He was criticized by people because his songs and dances were very sexual. Elvis was often seen as a “fertility totem, the baby maker of the baby boom” (Rosenbaum 7) Elvis’s followers according to Rosenbaum believed that he was more that human, but less than divine. (8) Shrines are connecting points between heaven and earth. The followers of Elvis believe that Graceland is a shrine. Graceland has many rooms filled with things that belonged to or represented Elvis. Pieces of things made and touched by him, even his clothes are sacred relics and vestments. Sometimes the Elvis inclined can purchase and take home items and this is referred to as material expression, ideas or concepts expressed as physical things. Elvis is the “new face of Jesus” to some people and Graceland is “the place of life.” (Rosenbaum 12)

            When Elvis started his career as a singer, he had no idea what an impact he would have on people and when I was growing up, I never thought I would believe that there is a religion for him. There is so much evidence and correlation to the fact that followers of Elvis truly do have a religion for him. Although I do not participate in this religion, I cannot deny that is it such a thing. Even if you do not like a person’s beliefs, you still cannot deny that their faith is a religion. Every aspect of religion is presented in the article we read in class on Tuesday. According to Emile Durkheim, religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, and the ultimate reality is the group unified by a totem. Elvis is the totem of his followers who all truly love and believe in him. Karl Marx thought that religion was the sigh of the oppressed creature, and religion was the projection of our own goodness in which we alienate in something else because of our oppression. Elvis’s lyrics had the most profound influence on his people because he expressed their sorrow in a beautiful way. After reading and analyzing the article we read in class. I firmly agree that there is a religion of Elvis.

works cited
Rosenbaum, Ron. "Among Believers."New York Times Sept. 24: 1-13. Print.

            

Nonwestern and Western Religions

There are many contrasts between Western and Eastern religions. Western religions commonly referred to as the Abrahamic religions, include Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The most common Eastern religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. The differences between the two categories of religion are strongly influenced by geography. Some countries like India are very isolated and this creates no opportunity to explore different ideas. Western religions are monotheistic and Nonwestern religions are monistic. The world cosmology view of Western religions is more linear where as in Nonwestern religions the world is viewed more circular. Also, Western religions are more orthodox apposed to Nonwestern religions which are orthopraxis.

            Monotheism is the belief in one God with personal attributes. It is belief in one personal God who interacts with his or her followers. Judaism believes in Yahweh, which is actually an early Hebrew word just to represent the divine name of their Lord. They believe that Yahweh had relationships with certain people and made covenants or promises with them. In the religion Islam, a Muslim worships their one God named Allah. They believe that Allah made Muhammad his conduit to the Qur’an. Christianity believes that their God gave his one and only son to save the world from sin and that he will come again. Monotheism is an important aspect in the difference between Western and Nonwestern religions.

            Nonwestern religions are monistic. Monism is the belief in one impersonal force. This is, that ultimate reality is everything, and in everything. These religions believe that ‘god’ is everything. Hinduism for example has the monistic idea of Brahman. Brahman is everything, in everything. The Atman is the soul, there is no separation between anyone or object and everything is the world. Male and female can also be interchangeable and considered one thing. The term demigod refers to a divinity that is in everything because of the one thing.  Because anything can represent the one thing than everything is divine.

            Cosmology is a worldview and how someone sees the system works. Western cosmology has the idea that time begins at one point and ends at another. Followers in western religions believe and life and death alone. In the both the Hebrew bible and the Catholic bible there is a book of Genesis. The book of Genesis tells the story of creation. It clearly and quite literally states that there was a beginning, because the first phrase in the book is, “In the beginning…” (Rudavsky 158). The end in one’s life is death.

            Cosmology in Nonwestern religions is slightly different. Nonwestern cosmology views the world as being circular. Reincarnation is a popular idea in Nonwestern cosmology. When someone is born, lives, and eventually dies, then is born again by receiving a body again, is reincarnation.  The process is viewed in a circle that never ends. There is no end to time in Nonwestern cosmology. In Hinduism there is the belief in a tri-murti or three aspects. The tri-murti is images or faces of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the preserver, and Shiva is the destroyer. During parts of someone’s life they will worship the aspects for creation, life, and death.

            The last two major contrasts in Western and Nonwestern religions is the difference of Orthodoxy and Orthopraxis. Orthodoxy in Western religions is the expression of belief. Western religions express “right belief” or correct belief through words. A creed is a statement of belief. The words read or spoken in a creed or text is an example of orthodoxy in Western religions. The Jewish creed is the Shema and the creed in Islam is the Shahadah or profession of faith. Nonwestern religions are adamant in proper behavior, practice, and activity. Proper behavior can be expressed through yoga. Yoga is for discipline and there are four common types of yoga. There is Karma Yoga, Jhana Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Bhatki Yoga. The different types focus on aspects of work, knowledge, the body, and love.