Lesson 2.1: Religion and Culture

An example of the intersection between religion and culture was the 2018 Met Gala. The theme was “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” so many of the outfits worn had Catholic imagery such as crosses and papal themes. This is a very obvious example of religion’s influence on popular culture. The Met Gala is a fundraising gala for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute- we can see that the aesthetics of the Catholic church were celebrated at an event that many people anticipate every year. I remember seeing many tweets that day of people expressing the sentiment that they disprove of the Catholic Church but love the Catholic aesthetic. I think this is a fascinating example of our modern day views of art and organized religion.

Another example is the song “Nirvana” by Sam Smith. In the chorus, Sam sings, “Will you take me to Nirvana? / I don’t think this will last cause you’re here in my arms.” The term nirvana is used in Hinduism, Buddhism and other Eastern religions to describe the goal of one’s spiritual journey, in which someone will be free from suffering. Sam Smith uses this term to express their yearning to stay with their lover forever and to avoid the suffering of being apart from them. I often hear many songs that use Christian concepts or imagery to portray their feelings (Heaven by Troye Sivan, Girl Almighty by One Direction, God is a Woman by Ariana Grande), so it is interesting to see an artist using a non-Western religion concept as a point of reference.