Category Archives: Non-Western Art

A Prayer for Migrants

Posted on September 8, 2015 by

The Rev. Dr. Sam Wells, vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in the heart of London, issued a statement yesterday on the migrant crisis, concluding with the following prayer: Wilderness God, your Son was a displaced person in Bethlehem, a refugee in … Continue reading →

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Niño Jesus

Posted on August 31, 2015 by

From the Smithsonian’s website: “Devotional figures of the infant Jesus became popular in Puerto Rico during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. . . . An unknown craftsman carved this small figure in the act of benediction, or blessing, with an … Continue reading →

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Rowan Williams talks Jesus art

Posted on August 21, 2015 by

In 2004 Dr. Rowan Williams, then archbishop of Canterbury, wrote an introduction to the exhibition catalog for “Presence: Images of Christ for the Third Millennium,” reflecting on the challenges inherent to the task of representing Jesus in art and how … Continue reading →

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Jesus did tonglen

Posted on July 31, 2015 by

I worked for four years at a Buddhist publishing house, and “tonglen” was a topic I came across many times. It’s a Buddhist contemplative practice in which the practitioner breathes in the pain and suffering of others and breathes out … Continue reading →

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Karel Teissig’s Black Jesus

Posted on July 11, 2015 by

At the end of the TV miniseries Killing Jesus that premiered this March, several contemporary Jesus artworks scan the screen. I recognized many of them, but one that was new to me and that I really like is a crucifixion … Continue reading →

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The Open Arms of Jesus

Posted on May 14, 2015 by

Jesus standing there with open arms. Ready to receive us, forgive us, embrace us. A big smile. A bright glow. This is perhaps one of the most familiar images of Jesus in popular culture, as evidenced by the slew of … Continue reading →

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In Song and Picture: Christus Victor

Posted on March 30, 2015 by

Listen: “Death Has Lost Its Sting.” Words by Isaac Watts (based on Psalm 3), 1707; adapted by Rebecca Dennison, 2011. Music by Mike Cosper, 2011. Performed by Sojourn (featuring Megan Shaffer), 2011.   Look: ____________ For their album The Water … Continue reading →

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