When I told Amy Diaz-Newman that I wanted to ask her about her religious beliefs, she said, “I’m getting the reputation of being an eccentric mystic!” but she agreed to an interview.
The reason Diaz-Newman believes she is perceived as an “eccentric mystic” is because she is known to be open with her students about her beliefs and opinions.
Diaz-Newman cultivates a culture of conversation in her classroom, where she teaches art in the upper school. People are free to have conversations about a variety of topics; from politics, favorite foods, current events, and religion. Diaz-Newman often offers her own insight.
The following conversion has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Do you align yourself with any particular religion?
I was raised in a Christian household. Because that was my first mode of understanding spirituality, I think those ideas and symbolisms of spirituality are most comfortable for me. I feel that I have a Christian approach.
Did your upbringing have an effect on your religious beliefs today?
Yes, deeply. I think I’m deeply influenced by the way that my household was when I was growing up. Everybody in my family who identifies as Christian worships in a really different way. And it caused some… not conflict, but it can certainly cause some puzzlement. We always sang grace together; there was a lot of discussion about theology. My dad is really focused on the Bible and reading the Bible. He’s not into going to church, but he does a lot of studying of the Bible. My sister, on the other hand, is really into being with other Christians and worshiping together. And my mom is really into the musical aspect of it. All of those things, I think, had an impact.
What is your mental image of God?
I’m influenced, of course, by all of the religious imagery I’ve seen in my life. As somebody who likes visual art, there are so many European and Western masterpieces that portray Christ, or even God. So I guess those things are in there somewhere, but I try not to think of God as a physical form because I feel that God is beyond that level of materialism.
How has your view on faith changed over the years?
As I got older and encountered different faiths and different kinds of people, I started to find it really challenging to commit to one creed over everything else. In particular, the idea that everybody who wasn’t Christian was going to hell just does not resonate with me; I can’t believe that. And that was a sticking point because some people are really focused on, “Well do you adopt this? Do you believe this is literally true?” I would always get stuck in those questions. As I got older I think I got more comfortable with just allowing there to be a certain amount of mystery. I’m not going to know all of the truth, and I’m not responsible for figuring it all out. But I am responsible for acting in a way that feels like it lifts up the best aspects of my humanity, and that’s how I function.
