In this essay published in Radix Magazine, I discuss Biblical justice and how it applies to the current social and political context in the United States. Martin Schongauer’s fifteenth-century print, “Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons” serves as the image for my reflection on loving one’s neighbor. I argue that despite the fact that we’re always told not to discuss politics or religion at family gatherings, to repress our ideas can lead to misunderstanding others as surely as if we speak without discernment. My essay uses the formal characteristics of Shongauer’s drawing as well as what it teaches us about the wisdom of holy figures to explore how we project our unconscious fears onto others, making them our enemies.
Martin Schongauer
Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons
1470-1475