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Imagining Christ: Intersections of Art and Theology (panel discussion)

Date: Sunday May 25, 2008
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Getty Center, Harold M. Williams Auditorium
Admission: Free; reservations required.

How can Christ be represented in art, literature, and film in a way that captures both his humanity and his divinity? How "true" are representations of Christ, and how deeply are they affected by time, culture, and art historical tradition? Jack Miles, an authority on the relationship between theology and culture, leads a discussion with artists and scholars about images of Christ and their ties to art history and theology.

This event complements the exhibition Imagining Christ, which presents images of Christ in manuscripts from about 1000 to 1500 A.D. and examines the role that Christ played in the imaginative life of medieval and Renaissance Christians.

About the Panelists

Jack Miles (moderator)
Jack Miles is an expert on the religious texts of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and one of the most eloquent and imaginative writers working today. His 1995 book God: A Biography, which approaches God as the protagonist of the world's greatest book, has been praised as "a scintillating work of literary scholarship that will forever color, if not downright alter, our conception of the Bible as a work of art" (The New York Times). Miles is Distinguished Professor of English and religious studies at UC Irvine.

Father Patrick
Father Patrick oversees icon production at the Workshop at Saint Gregory of Sinai Monastery, an Eastern Orthodox men's community in northern California. An iconographer working in the traditional media of egg tempera and fresco, Father Patrick creates spiritual, deeply moving portraits of Christ, saints, and other Biblical figures. He has taught and lectured on fresco and icon painting around the world. Father Patrick is also the author of the recent book Recovering the Icon: The Life and Work of Leonid Ouspensky.

Simon Toparovsky
Artist Simon Toparovsky began his career studying restoration and conservation of rare books and was recognized for creating unique books that pushed the conceptual boundaries of the field. His art soon evolved into narrative sculptures in bronze and cast iron, which are represented in museum collections across the world. One of Toparovsky's most powerful works is the life-size bronze crucifix that adorns the main altar of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Eric David
Eric David is a screenwriter, filmmaker, and film critic with a love of storytelling. He has contributed writings on culture and spirituality to Christianity Today, The Mars Hill Review, The Ooze and many other publications. David has also worked in advertising and Web development for media organizations such as Entertainment Weekly, MySpace, and Netflix.



Crucifix at Our Lady of the Angels / Toparovsky


How to Get Here
The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California, approximately 12 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. See Hours, Directions, Parking for maps and driving directions.



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