Spoken Icons: Vivid Homilies as Guides for Perceiving Sacred Arts
As the prophet Moses encountered God in the burning bush, he had to be told the ground on which he was standing was holy. In worship, the constellation of spaces, icons, and movements surround us, but, like Moses, our perception of it all requires guidance. Many early eastern Christian homilies use vivid descriptions of the temple, its iconography, and the celebration taking place therein, providing guidance for worshippers’ perception. In this course we will explore how we perceive this array of sensory symbols, applying this understanding to homiletic case studies, each of which emphasizes a facet of liturgical exegesis.
By the end of this course, students will be to:
understand the use of vivid description in patristic homilies
analyze meaning in sacred architecture: its arrangement, decor, and iconography
identify and explore interpretation of sacred art and architecture in patristic homilies
examine ways patristic homilies guide physical and spiritual perception
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Course Information
Professor
Rev. Fr. Lucas Lynn Christensen
The Rev. Fr. Lucas Lynn Christensen (Ph.D. Candidate, University of Notre Dame) is Assistant Director of St. Vladimir’s Compelling Preaching Project. He has published on sacrificial theology in the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil as well as the influence of North African church architecture on St. Maximos’s Mystagogy. Fr. Lucas serves as research fellow on the interdisciplinary project, “Assessing the Impact of Sacred Art on Individual Experience, Memory, and Spiritual Understanding,” undertaken by the University of Notre Dame’s Departments of Art History, Theology, and Psychology. He earned his M.Div. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in 2016.
Course Description
Live sessions: Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. EST (July 1 - 22)
Access: June 24-August 31
Course cost: $200
This is a non-credit and non-transferable course. This online course includes 4 live discussion sessions with the professor (Q&A), 4 pre-recorded lectures, 4 presentation slides based on the lectures, and optional reading material, as well as the recorded live discussion sessions. The live discussion will take place via Zoom every Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. ET (July 1 - 22). You will have access to all the course material from June 24-August 31.
Discussion Sessions: ~ 45 minutes each, including introduction, asynchronous material review by the professor, and Q&A (you will be able to submit your questions to the professor before each Zoom live discussion session).
Important: After registration, please note that the course will be available from June 24-August 31; during this time you will have access to all the lectures, slides, and reading material, as well as the recordings of the live sessions after they are completed. You will need the username and password that you created to log into the course.
There will be no refunds after June 23, 2024.
This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from and work with the dynamic faculty of St Vladimir’s Seminary.
Registration Is Now Open!
Spoken Icons: Vivid Homilies as Guides for Perceiving Sacred Arts
Week 1: Perceiving with the whole person: Embodied and spiritual perception in worship
July 1 · 8–8:45 p.m. (ET)
Readings are assigned upon registration.
Week 2: The meaning of sacred space: Paul the Silentiary’s Ekphrasis on Hagia Sophia and the cosmic temple
July 8 · 8–8:45 p.m. (ET)
Readings are assigned upon registration.
Week 3: The location of sacred ritual: St. Anastasios of Sinai’s Homily on the Transfiguration and the mosaics of Sinai
July 15 · 8–8:45 p.m. (EDT)
Readings are assigned upon registration.
Week 4: The frame of sacred art: St. Anastasios of Sinai’s Homily on the Transfiguration and the mosaics of Sinai
July 22 · 8–8:45 p.m. (ET)
Readings are assigned upon registration.