The main picture that you see when you visit us here at Hyde Park Heroes is from the Rockefeller Chapel- yes, that Rockefeller- at the University of Chicago. When M and I (that's me, not someone else whose name starts with an "I") visited the campus a few weeks ago, we were both blown away by the beauty of this edifice, the piercing colors and the worshipful silence.
But let me make something clear. This thing is not just a "chapel".
I would probably use a word like "cathedral" or possibly "massive place of worship" (assuming someone does actually still worship there). While it might not quite rival the massive cathedrals of Europe, or even the National Cathedral here in Washington, DC, I certainly wouldn't say it's a chapel. Chapel means a white-washed building with wooden pews, located in the woods somewhere. Or at least a place that only seats a hundred people or so. But nope, this massive thing is just a "chapel"...of course when was the last time that a Rockefeller did anything small?
When you walk into the chapel, you are immediately confronted with this panel, pictured below. Ignoring, of course, that the largest thing on there is the name "John D. Rockefeller" (that's worshipful), I find what it says to be quite interesting. And so, reader, I share it with you.
What do you think?
Fascinating. The "Purpose" above says that "religion" should control the University, that the chapel represents "religion," and that the geographic centrality of the chapel represents the University's commitment to religion. It says nothing about God, Christianity, morality, faith, or even worship. I wonder how Rockefeller and the University define religion?
ReplyDelete