Can The Material Culture Of A Religion Demonstrate Attitudes Towards The Material World?

Material culture can indeed demonstrate individual approaches in religious practice towards the material world itself. A comparison helps to illustrate this point. One Hindu image of Ganesha radiates bright colours – pink, turquoise, red, and gold are just the beginning! Ganesha is depicted with an elephant's head, a human's body, four arms, and two legs. The image is full of colour and movement, which is emphasized by the four gesticulating arms and the swirling lines. The mixture of animal and human characteristics convey a sense of mystery which is enhanced Ganesha's hooded eyes.

What a contrast to the interior of the 18th Century John Wesley's Chapel in Bristol. The architecture is plain and simple, without excessive decoration or colour. The centre of focus is the pulpit where sermons are delivered. It rises above the congregation and is backlit by a large window. Both the visual emphasis on the pulpit and the lack of decoration serve to direct attention away from the physical setting and towards the doctrine, in the form of the sermon.

In the image of Ganesha, colour, movement and mystery appeal to the senses and invite us to enjoy the pleasure of a material object. As well, the imagery of animals, food, flowers and riches emphasize carnality – a contrast to the stark and austere interior of Wesley's chapel. These examples show very different approaches to material culture in religious practice - one revels in the material world while the other draws attention away from it.

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Yes, the material culture of a religion affects how it sees the world. Just look at the unbelievable, immoral wealth of the Vatican, the home of the Pope and leader of Catholicism who gained most of that wealth by leading the Crusades to destroy cities and nations by the Pope's armies and steal all wealth from those cities and nations.

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