In some churches, I have found myself uncomfortably surrounded by images of warfare. These have included military banners, icons or statutes of soldier-saints and obtrusive memorials to military leaders. Their presence in churches disturbs me because they seem so much at odds with the message of the one who did not retaliate and commanded his followers to behave likewise. The presence of these images speaks of a church that has, at times in its history, been allied with secular power and secular power often exerts its influence militarily. As one example, large stone memorials on the walls of some 'civic' Anglican churches give honour to military leaders who executed Britain's colonial ambitions, with varying degrees of success, against subject peoples across a vast empire. That these same churches are often at the more iconophobic end of the ecclesiastical spectrum is a particular irony.
The truth is that churches have endorsed and even promoted the violent ambitions of the powerful at some points of their history. So is it more honest to allow these images to remain and use them as an opportunity to confess a bloody past or to remove them as having no place in a church that works for peace?
I have heard it argued that churches ought to be able to take the whole of human life into their worship and this includes the cruel realities of war. I agree with this principle, but I do not think that permanent memorials to military elites are the way to do this, whatever the ethical record of the individuals commemorated. I would rather see Picasso's Guernica in church as an icon of the cruelty of war than a plaque praising the perpetrator of such violence.
There is, of course, the further question of what one does with existing memorials. Should they be retained as a way of telling our history, however unpalatable? I can see the strength of this argument, but the iconographic arrangements of a church should be directed towards the worship of the God of peace, not the provision of didactic tools.
Churches should, of course, commemorate all the faithful departed, including all those caught up in violent conflict. But I think I would rather not see any martial images in church. I am strongly drawn to the simplicity of Cistercian architecture, which is sparing in its use of any imagery. Among the few images that should, in my view, adorn our churches, is, indeed, one of brutal violence. But it is the brutal violence of the apparatus of state shown for all its evil in the execution of an itinerant preacher who subverted that same violence by refusing to participate in its cycle of revenge, even to the point of refusing self-defence. God is caught up in violence. He is the victim of the powerful, not their ally. He is every bereaved mother, every expendable foot soldier, every piece of collateral damage, and every brave soul who silently resists violence by confronting it with forgiving love.
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Posted by: プラダ-サングラス | 07/22/2013 at 06:42 PM
We should be wary of judging our predecessors by standards that we apply today. Many of the military characters commemorated by memorials in churches and cathedrals were of the belief that they were carrying out a Christian duty in bringing Christianity to the heathen. Not all colonial enterprises were bad and many brought great benefits to humanity by spreading education, Christianity and a better way of life. Much as we may disagree with some of the actions of our ancestors, many of them deserve remembrance for what they did, and to destroy or remove memorials and memorabilia just because we feel uncomfortable smacks of the iconoclasm of the Taliban in destroying ancient statues or the or the destruction of abbeys by the Covenanters. I personally would be uncomfortable if I could not remember those who gave their lives in war in church - it reminds me how terrible war is and it is a comfort to those who have lost loved. ones.
Posted by: B SMITH | 08/05/2013 at 11:54 PM
Many thanks for your thoughtful comment Brian. I think this is a very delicate question and I can argue myself in either direction! I think my concern is one of balance and of the dominating images in some churches. I certainly would not support destruction of memorials but there may be a case to be made for relocation to give more balance in the overall iconographic 'scheme'. And I am all in favour of appropriate war memorials - it is vital that this part of our human experience be taken into our worship and prayer.
As for judging the past by standards not applicable at the time, I appreciate this argument, but I do wonder if we should allow our churches to continue to declare standards that no longer feel appropriate. It is also the case that the assessment of our colonial activities (which I did acknowledge to be complex) was not uniform at the time. William Dalrymple has done us a great historical service in showing us the contemporary reactions to British military conduct in 1840s Afghanistan, for example. It is also the case that an episode like the Magdala campaign of the 1860s was deeply unpopular at home both among taxpayers and politicians.
In truth, I don't think I would ever find myself in the position of actually arguing for the removal of memorials, but there may be a case to be made in some instances for changes to shift the visual emphasis to more appropriate symbols. I am most interested in how we continue to assess our past as it colours our current perceptions and I thank you again for your helpful contribution to this discussion.
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