Image as Theology
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Book Series
Arts and the Sacred, vol. 2
Encounters: The Art of Interfaith Dialogue
Aaron Rosen, Nicola Green
- Pages: 176 p.
- Size:220 x 280 mm
- Illustrations:240 col.
- Language(s):English
- Publication Year:2018
- € 100,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-58032-6
- Hardback
- Available
The 21st century is a new era for interfaith dialogue. Readers are invited to witness the meetings of faith leaders from across the globe through the eyes of acclaimed artist Nicola Green, accompanied by challenging reflections from leading scholars.
Review(s)
“(...) her determination to have it analyzed from a range of perspectives under the expert guidance of editor Aaron Rosen has resulted in a resource about dialogue that itself has dialogical dimensions. The intriguing cover of Encounters: The Art of Interfaith Dialogue invites the reader to look inside. It is an invitation worth accepting.” (Lucinda Allen, in: The Journal of Interreligious Studies, 26, March 2019, p. 16)
« Dans une douzaine de brefs chap., des théologiens, des artistes et des personnes engagées dans le dialogue entre traditions explorent les enjeux des rencontres interreligieuses. Relevons en particulier des réflexions sur l’importance de reconnaître les différences irréductibles, sur la place d’une lecture en commun des Écritures animée par un esprit de prière, sur le rôle de témoin et d’élaboration créative assumé par une femme artiste dans un univers presque exclusivement masculin, sur la fécondité tant artistique que spirituelle d’un décloisonnement de traditions toujours tentées par le repli sur soi. » (J. Scheuer s.j., dans Nouvelle revue théologique 141/3, 2019, p. 514)
“This thoughtful inclusion and referencing of her images throughout the book create a flow through the text and integrate the artworks and the essays superbly well. This book deserves many readers. It would make a wonderful text for those engaged in the academic study of interfaith dialogue, theology through to anthropology, as well as being accessible to the non-specialist casual reader interested broadly in religion and art.” (Amanda Dillon, in Reading Religion, 22/04/2020)
BIO
Dr. Aaron Rosen is Professor of Religious Thought at Rocky Mountain College and Visiting Professor of Theology at King’s College London. He is the author of Imagining Jewish Art (2009) and Art and Religion in the 21st Century (2015). He is the editor of Religion and Art in the Heart of Modern Manhattan (2015) and co-editor of Visualising a Sacred City: London, Art and Religion (2016).
Summary
What makes for productive and long-lasting interfaith dialogue? This book uses Nicola Green’s artwork as a lens through which to explore and analyse the state of interreligious dialogue today. The book features contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in theology, history, cultural studies, and art history, writing in an accessible style that is engaging for both academic and general readers. Writers pay special attention to the embodied nature of dialogue, commenting on frequently neglected dimensions of such encounters, from the set-up of the physical spaces to gestures and clothing. Not only does this book seek to evaluate the conditions and implications of interreligious dialogue, it encourages readers to take up the challenge of encounters themselves.
We know we need to listen to each other, but we also need to learn to see each other. This is at the heart of Nicola Green’s remarkable and visionary practice, and this inspiring book.
Edmund de Waal OBE, Artist Author, The Hare with Amber Eyes
Nicola Green rightly considers herself a visual social historian. She has created artworks of major historical significance and an invaluable resource for future generations.
Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum
A journey of hope reminding us of that which we share in common.
The Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin QHC, Chaplain to the Queen and the House of Commons
Nicola Green is a testament to how artists can bring the best out of humanity. Her work is a wonderful bridge, crossing cultural divides.
Saeb Eigner, Author, Art of The Middle East. Patron of Art Dubai
The written word imparts knowledge; the spoken word inspires one to action; and the visual image reaches the soul. For those who think religion is the problem, this book tells a different story.
Heather Templeton Dill, President, John Templeton Foundation
Nicola Green’s Encounters is a project of tremendous ambition.
Sandy Nairne CBE FSA, Former Director of the National Portrait Gallery, London
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword – Dr. Rowan Williams, Former Archbishop of Canterbury
Encounters – Nicola Green, Artist
Introduction – Prof. Ben Quash and Prof. Aaron Rosen, Professor of Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London & Professor of Religious Thought at Rocky Mountain College
Beyond Photo Opportunities: A Personal Journey into Interfaith Dialogue – Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, National leader in The Muslim Council of Britain
Through Scripture and through Prayer: Leading Edges in Interfaith Engagement – Prof. David Ford OBE, Regius Professor of Divinity Emeritus in the University of Cambridge
Grace-full Bodies: Interreligious Encounters in the Art of Nicola Green – Revd William Danaher, Rector of Christ Church Cranbrook
Women as Witness: Gender and Participation in Encounters – Maryanne Saunders, PhD candidate in Theology and Religious Studies at King’s College London
Framing Encounters, Performing Difference – Dr. Lieke Wijnia, Postdoctoral fellow of the Centre for Religion and Heritage at the University of Groningen
Holy Faces: Reflection and Projection – Dr. Chloe Reddaway, Research Fellow, Arts and the Sacred at King's College London
‘Only Connect’: Drawing Interfaith Parallels through Art – Dua Abbas, Visual artist and writer based in Lahore, Pakistan
What Does Interreligious Dialogue Have to Say, and to Whom? – Jibran Khan, Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at the National Review Institute
When Empathy Fails: Managing Radical Differences – Gabrielle Rifkind, Founder and Director of the Oxford Process
Encountering the Divine – Skinder Hundal, Director of New Art Exchange (NAE)
