Review: Redeeming Vision
In "Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art," author Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt helps us view art through a theological lens, whether the artwork is religious in orientation or not.
Hamline University Faculty Call on President To Resign Over Handling of Islamic Art
The faculty of Hamline University have called on President Fayneese Miller to resign, saying they no longer have faith in her ability to lead the St. Paul, Minnesota, school after what they see as the mishandling of a Muslim student’s complaint about an instructor showing
Hamline University Retracts ‘Islamophobia’ Charge as Instructor Sues
Hamline retracted its characterization of an adjunct professor as “Islamophobic” on Tuesday and has revised a previous statement about academic freedom. This comes in the wake of a firestorm of criticism after the Minnesota university did not renew the contract of the adjunct, who showed
A Restored Medieval Depiction of the Crusades Shows How England Embraced Islamic Culture
An 800-year-old puzzle about a set of 13th-century floor tiles has added to historians’ thinking about the relationship of Europeans and Arabs at the time of the Crusades. It is telling visual evidence that Christian Europe was more porous than historians have believed.
Away with the Manger? Nativity Scene at Vatican Generates Controversy
Especially in a year when the COVID-19 pandemic will rule out many people’s favorite Christmas traditions, they have a right to express their dislike of the decidedly untraditional Nativity scene on display in the center of St. Peter’s Square, said a priest who specializes in
Study Asks How Art Influences Faith
Two Baylor University scholars and a third at Fuller Theological Seminary are setting out to determine the relationship between two difficult, if not impossible, things to measure: art and faith. Read full piece
Black Jesus Version of Michelangelo’s Pietà Divides Catholics on Race & Politics
An interpretation of Michelangelo’s iconic pietà featuring a Black Jesus has unexpectedly caused a debate about Black Lives Matter, the sanctity of art, and the evangelization of Africa after the Pontifical Academy of Life, an official Vatican think tank, tweeted out a photo of the
How Jesus Became White — and Why It’s Time to Cancel That
The first time the Rev. Lettie Moses Carr saw Jesus depicted as Black, she was in her 20s. It felt “weird,” Carr said; until that moment, she’d always thought Jesus was white.
A Pastoral Dilemma about Art and Nudity
I have spent two days this week unsuccessfully trying to Photoshop the penis of the battered man helped by the Good Samaritan in a piece of art. Oh, the life of a pastor.
The Divine Resurrection of Stained Glass
A new generation of artists and designers is turning again to stained glass, choosing it not merely for windows and screens, but for objects and furniture.