Landscape 2-Philip Vivirito

Lane says “Many of the spiritual traditions discussed in this book perceive the American Landscape, both in its rural and urban forms, as a kind of mask of the holy. They understand it simultaneously to hide and reveal certain aspects of the splendor, grace or terror of the divine.” So lane is saying that the traditions that are discussed in this book have to deal with both the rural and urban forms, which is good to point out. Reason is that spirituality can affect a person both in an urban environment as well as a rural form. But what is Lane talking about the mask of the holy? A mask to me is a way to hide your identity, so Lane saying we need to hide our holy identity? I believe Lane is saying that the American Landscape always has a holy identity, but it is masked and we need to unmask it by engaging in the landscape. Lane does allude this idea of reveal in the second part of the quote by saying the simultaneously to hide and reveal certain aspects of splendor. So he is saying that the mask reveals and hides certain stuff. So how do we determine what we see and what we cant see? I think that is the overarching question Lane is asking.