The Sublime Cosmic Abyss and the Bruno Exemplum in Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

This article investigates the persuasive practice involved in the sublime depiction of space and the execution of Giordano Bruno in Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014). After a brief discussion of the aesthetic of the sublime, I explore how the writers and producers of Cosmos, first, attempt to evoke...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and popular culture
Main Author: Owen, Corey (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: University of Saskatchewan [2020]
In: Journal of religion and popular culture
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Bruno, Giordano 1548-1600 / Execution / Cosmos, a spacetime odyssey / The Sublime
RelBib Classification:AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism
AG Religious life; material religion
CB Christian life; spirituality
KDB Roman Catholic Church
Further subjects:B Depictions of the Counter-Reformation in Popular Culture
B Scientism
B the sublime
B Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
B Rhetorical criticism
B Giordano Bruno
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
Volltext (doi)
Description
Summary:This article investigates the persuasive practice involved in the sublime depiction of space and the execution of Giordano Bruno in Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014). After a brief discussion of the aesthetic of the sublime, I explore how the writers and producers of Cosmos, first, attempt to evoke an experience of the sublime and, second, adapt the trial and execution of Giordano Bruno in order to redirect the emotional arousal of the sublime experience, dividing the complex aesthetic experience into its positive and negative valences—awe and fear; they claim the former for scientism and project the latter onto non-scientific epistemologies, which, in this case, are represented by the Catholic Church. Ultimately, such a persuasive practice aims to regulate the boundaries of scientific identity and secure public patronage of scientific institutions; however, it risks alienating crucial audiences in a time when anti-intellectualism is flourishing.
ISSN:1703-289X
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.3138/jrpc.2017-0072