Rachel Hrovat--Class discussion on 2nd World

Van der Leeuw brings about a unique concept of coming to a second world through the use of art and this idea is similar to what I discussed in a previous entry to not taking nature as it is but trying to improve upon it. The same is true with the second world. This is the idea that man does not just accept the world as we find it but rather we take the world and change it into something. Van der Leeuw gave three characteristics for one who is attempting to inhabit the second world. The first is that the individual could be the master or overcome the second world in order to inhabit it. This is feasible through magic and science. The second is that the individual will control the powers of the world only by subjugating himself to the rule with enthusiasm. The third way is to find someplace outside for observation of the 2nd world. In this way, the individual would be stepping aside and peering in rather than being amidst the world. An interesting quote used along with this idea was "whoever has lost himself has room for God", which explains the idea behind the 2nd world clearly. You die to yourself, you have overcome the pride that overwhelms us. If you subjugate yourself to the power of God, he is going to have power over you and you should be ecstatic to follow Him. Third, you are able to see the world through new lens, so you are in a sense stepping back and peering into the world through a new spiritual lens.