"A theologian who does not love art, poetry, music, and nature can be dangerous. Blindness and deafness toward the beautiful are not incidental; they necessarily are reflected in his theology."

- Pope Benedict XVI

It’s hard to believe that we are finishing the third quarter, and 70+ students are completing Art & Soul, an elective in which the seniors are challenged to see divine beauty and truth in all things, both sacred and secular. 

For the past ten weeks we have studied visual art, music, architecture, literature, theatre and film revealing spiritual and religious themes like Creator and Creation, mercy and forgiveness, social justice and sacred space. We also considered how Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene and other biblical women have been imagined throughout history, and how those images both reflect and shape the way societies understand who women are and should be.

In our last week, we examined an extraordinary example of theological imagination – the 2019 Oscar nominated film, The Two Popes, a thought experiment considering the critical nature of change and compromise, and the essential role of both in bridging ideological differences.  The reflections of our students after watching the movie offer great hope for our polarized world – we will be in good hands as they come of age!