Updated
A small church in northeast Pennsylvania is having a Goth Eucharist modeled on one that was begun by the Church of St. Edward King and Martyr in Cambridge.
St. George’s Episcopal Church in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, which is in near Scranton and in the Diocese of Bethlehem will hold the first Goth Eucharist this coming Saturday.
The Times-Tribune.com of Scranton, PA, writes:
Spiky-haired youths, wearing black eyeliner, dressed in black clothing and black boots. It’s a sight rarely seen at local religious services.
A Luzerne County church is seeking to change that.
St. George’s Episcopal Church on Main Street will hold its first Goth liturgy at 9 p.m. Saturday, opening its doors to members of the “Goth” community and anyone else who is looking for “a different kind of spirituality,” Deacon Lou Divis said.
“I think experiencing a liturgy that’s a little off the wall is intriguing,” she said. “I’m expecting spikes and chains and beauty and joy.”
Deacon Divis said she hopes attendees will feel the truth and joy of God’s love, be who they are and not feel they have to appear in their “Sunday best.” Her goal is to “let people worship God in a way that’s meaningful to them, within the parameters of the liturgy.”
“It’s allowing people to come as God sees them,” she said.
Goths typically embody the dark, dramatic and mysterious mood or aesthetic, but also embrace the Elizabethan, Victorian or medieval periods, which were replete with Christian and religious imagery. White makeup, dark hair and makeup, and black clothing are stereotypical Goth attire, although Deacon Divis said many do embrace and use color. Many Goths are already Christians, and this service is a way of making them feel accepted in the mainstream church, she said.
Marcus Ramshaw wrote about being Christian and being Goth here:
A Christian Goth may initially seem to be an oxymoron. Goths, in terms of today’s sub-culture celebrate, with both an ironic and cynical attitude, an approach to life which is frequently both nihilistic and fatalistic. Christians, in contrast are associated with a joyful, faith-filled and positive approach to life, full of hope and a strong belief in redemption. The gothic view of life appears to be a stark contrast to the Christian one.
Modern day ‘goths’ tend to identify with each other through their musical tastes and dress sense, yet even then, there is less distinction made between a poseur, wannabee goth, more concerned with image and a real, committed approach to an outlook on life which is more authentically ‘gothic’. In reality, the ‘gothic imagination’ draws heavily from a variety of sources – literature, film, taste and philosophy, as well as music and fashion.
Trying to define a ‘modern day goth’ is a torturous exercise. Most goths themselves refuse to acknowledge the label. They continually debate amongst themselves what is ‘gothic’ and what is not. The two most obvious areas of group recognition – music and fashion are not, in themselves, as helpful as you might think. In music there are some obvious mainstream bands such as Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Christian death, Nightwish etc, though even with these there is some debate about their gothic credentials. However the gothic imagination didn’t simply start as a reaction to punk music in the late 1970s, it has a much older pedigree. In music what could be more gothic than the works of Wagner or even the music that originated from medieval plainsong?
In terms of fashion goths are stereotyped as the people who wear a lot of black and sometimes add white make up with black eyeliner. For goths wearing black is often the default option in their wardrobe. Many goths delight in luxurious rich colours, incorporating purple, red and dark blue. There is often a fascination with pre-raphaelite art which incorporates a vibrant array of colours. Gothic dress is more about making a statement which is invariably theatrical, rather than simply wearing black.
So what makes you a ‘goth’ in the 21st Century? I think it is principally a state of mind, an attitude towards the world, a way of viewing life and those around you. For the modern day goth this is a deep identity with the darker dimensions to our existence. They feel that they don’t fit in with conventional or ‘respectable’ society. They regard themselves as different and often misunderstood by the wider world. It would be too simplistic, however, to regard this outlook as an entirely bleak approach. There is a longing for something more from the world, though with little expectation that this will materialize. There is often a deep-rooted desire for a more inclusive and non-judgmental world.
Anglimergent had a discussion about reaching out to punks and goths in September. It included this comment by Edward Green, the 33-year-old curate at Soham and Wicken:
I am not really a MCA but I most certainly have a musical taste which falls in the realm of Gothic so I hope you don’t mind me joining to throw a few thoughts in.
Firstly ‘Goth’ is as wide as ‘Anglican’ as a term when referring to music and subculture.
The roots of the movement were not so much about what you could describe as ‘macho’ rebellion, but far more about subversion and romanticism. Many of the first ‘Goth’ bands in the period between 1979 and 1983 were dubbed ‘Positive Punk’, because the message was not ‘Destroy’ but ‘Subvert’. Gothic was as in literature (Byron, Shelley, etc) rather than marauding tribes. Or maybe architecture – if Classical or Romanesque architecture represented the starkness of late 20th century modernism then Gothic almost represents a return to medievalism, but with a post-modern critique and playfulness.
Sound familiar?
The music deals with religious themes, but frequently in a playful questioning way. The style of dress was frequently androgynous. Aesthetic and Content were seen as a whole in life, music and being, Bands such as The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Specimen, Killing Joke and Bauhaus, would give a general feel for the music and tone (although Goth’s would argue if all of these were ‘really’ Goth).
It will come as no surprise that I know a lot of Christian Goths in this mold. Most of them are Catholic Anglicans or Roman Catholic. Most of them would be theologically Orthodox, but socially and ethically liberal.
However the word Goth has widened since the early 80’s to become a bit of a catch all for anyone who wears black and looks a bit different.
The first level of this is the ‘Goth Scene’. The scene includes people of all ages and backgrounds. Thinking of half a dozen folks who I know in the scene most are in their early thirties and are professionals earning upwards of $60k a year who dress in black at work, but at the weekends really push the boat out. Their taste in music and culture will be informed by the definition above, but will be far wider than that. There is a large group of people who listen to industrial harsh dance music who are part of the scene. So Goth here is a grown up sub-culture or club. An escape from the mundanity of life for the middle class kids who grew up successful but never felt they fitted in. I know even more Christian Goths in this area.
The second level is kids. At least in the UK kids call themselves Goths even if they listen to music like Heavy Metal (Cradle of Filth, some Death& Black Metal) or Industrial Rock (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson). Some of this music I would describe as Anti-Christ, and in some ways Anti-Goth (it certainly isn’t philosophical, thoughtful, positive or romantic!). Being a musical purist I struggle with this lot. Because they make a big thing of being rebellious and ‘Gothic’ without having any idea what the latter means. Int he UK at least most of these kids are middle class.
UK studies have recently shown that Goths have higher than average intelligence, are more likely to go to university, and find themselves in successful creative careers.
Learn more about the Goth Eucharist here.