Can art prepare Christians to face death with hope? In this course, we will identify key works of art and theological texts that depict suffering and death, exploring how they grapple with these realities, and come to appreciate how art may spiritually form us towards Christian hope. Artistic reflections will centre on paintings, medieval woodcuts, theatre, music, literature, and television. Along the way, we will be helped by readings from Gregory of Nyssa, Julian of Norwich, Bonaventure, Martha Nussbaum, Rowan Williams, David Bentley Hart, and more.
This course will use a blend of recorded lectures and live tutorials via Zoom. Students should watch the lecture and complete the reading each week as outlined. Weekly group tutorials with the course professor will happen on Thursdays from 11:00am–12:00pm (Pacific) and will center on discussing the assigned readings. Alternative arrangements (such as reading discussions on Moodle) may be made for students who cannot join live tutorials due to time zones.
2-3 Credit hours