by Lisa Smith The story of the Tabernacle seems dry in comparison to everything else going on in the book of Exodus. Burning bushes, parting seas, clouds of fire and smoke, a golden calf – all seem more engaging than chapter after chapter of lists, details, and instructions. But this (not so little) story is… Continue Reading
Category Archives: civablog
Beyonce: A Reimagined Madonna
by Vicki Stuart The famous Beyonce shocked her audience once again: rather than wowing them with her silky dulcet tones, however, the artist’s maternity photos caused the public uproar. In the capturing of Beyonce’s pregnancy in 2017, photographer Awol Erizku controversially reimagined the typical depictions of the Mother Mary and challenged socio-philosophical norms of the… Continue Reading
Wounds to Beauty
by Bruce Herman 1Most history seems to carry on its back vestiges of paradise… There is hardly a civilization, perhaps hardly an individual consciousness, that does not carry inwardly a sense of distant catastrophe. Somewhere a wrong turn was taken in that “dark and sacred wood,” after which man has had to labor, socially, psychologically,… Continue Reading
Honoring Our Father
by Vicki Stuart Yes, we honor our familial fathers and father figures this Father’s Day. But, we also must acknowledge Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name — whose kingdom in which we live, whose will is expressed on earth as it is in heaven, who forgives us of our trespasses, who… Continue Reading
“Why is the night so long?”
by Beat Rink / Translation by Bill Buchanan ENGLISH Worldwide success of a singing priest There are few Christian musicians who can fill venues with 30,000 people – and certainly no singer/songwriters who sit on the stage with a simple guitar and, with cracks in the voice, gets the whole audience to join in. In… Continue Reading
The Moral Prerogative of the Christian Artist
by Xenia Williams One can say culture in and of itself is both a cognitive and embodied depository of ideas and behaviors based on a moral understanding of existence. By extension, societies and civilizations are the cultivated results of morals which can be considered the backbone of their cultures, whether they are revelatory in origin… Continue Reading
Healing in Colour: Stories of Race, Faith, and Mental Health
by Lizzy Ojo Martens The temptation to cry is strong. In a year full of stillness, isolation, and too much time to reflect, last summer’s global spotlight on racial injustice was wincing, almost too bright. There has been little reprieve since. To show up every day for work, for relationships, for protests, demanded an energy… Continue Reading
Becoming a Scribe: Creating New Vessels for the Word of God
by Tatiana Nikolova-Houston Discovery is a journey from revelation to revelation. Studying Slavic manuscripts and icons revealed God and my faith to me. God led me to America in 1990. I built a family, started a new career, and earned advanced degrees. My dissertation explored medieval manuscripts – the predecessors of the printed Bible that… Continue Reading
Artist and Prophet? Tell me more.
Below is a recent conversation between CIVA and member Donna Gonzalez about prophetic art. CIVA: What is prophetic art? How do you understand it? DG: To some people the phrase “prophetic art” invokes notions of spiritual mysticism or foretelling events, in truth it’s comparable to the Old Testament prophet who spoke forth God’s word to… Continue Reading
The Healing Art of the Revelatory Culture of the Church and the Societies it Symbolizes
by Xenia Williams If the Church is the continuation of the Incarnation of God – Jesus Christ – then the revelatory, eucharistic culture of the church is a reflection of this spiritual reality. All of its expressions, its visual arts, including metalwork, woodwork, and the sculptural works; its cultivation of wheat and wine for use… Continue Reading