Berkeley, CA – October 3, 2018 The Center for the Arts & Religion at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) celebrates the publication of Gestures to the Divine: Reflections on Eco-Spirituality, a book that brings together the nature-focused artwork of Hagit Cohen and reflections on eco-spirituality by scholars from the GTU. The release accompanies the exhibition of Cohen’s work at the GTU’s Doug Adams Gallery in Berkeley through December 13, 2018.
Hagit Cohen’s minimalist prints of plant seeds and pods inspire awe and contemplation. As she explains, “nothing is too small to be the object of wonder or to hold powerful significance in the cycle of life.” Cohen’s work links nature and spirituality, a connection that resonates with many GTU faculty and students. Seven of these scholars present essays in this volume, reflecting on eco-spirituality from theological, spiritual, and historical perspectives:
- The Gate of Heaven in the House of Bread: The Vitality of Place for an Incarnational Theology of Abundant Life, Jay Emerson Johnson (Pacific School of Religion)
- Can Beauty (Still) Save the Planet? Eco-Aesthetics for the Anthropocene, Devin Zuber (Center for Swedenborgian Studies, Graduate Theological Union)
- Discovering the Other in American Landscapes and Society: Race, Theology, and the Doctrine of Discovery, Matthew Hartman (Graduate Theological Union)
- Ecofeminist Philosophy, Rita Sherma (Mira and Ajay Shingal Center for Dharma Studies, Graduate Theological Union)
- The Impact of Ecowomanism and African Cosmology on Carceral Anti-Ecology, Keyona Saquile Lazenby (Pacific School of Religion)
- Interlace: On Art, Ecology, and Indigenous Knowledge, Yohana Junker (Graduate Theological Union)
- Moral Power for Transformed Lifeways: Art and Ethics Weave Together, Cynthia Moe-Lobeda (Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and Church Divinity School of the Pacific)
Gestures to the Divine: Reflections on Eco-Spirituality is available for purchase at the Doug Adams Gallery, 2465 LeConte Avenue, Berkeley (open Tuesday – Thursday, 10am-3pm). To purchase on-line, please contact the Center for the Arts & Religion, care@gtu.edu. Cost: $25 + tax, or free as a gift with membership to the Center for the Arts & Religion (minimum donation $100).
Paperback: 109 pages (33 pages color photographs)
Publisher: Graduate Theological Union, printed by Edition One (October 3, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0-692-17677-1
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.5 inches