It’s time to set aside old assumptions about the antagonism between art and religion and look again with fresh eyes. Artists today are reframing how we think about religion and spirituality and driving new approaches to urgent ethical issues including climate change and racial justice. In this lecture, Dr. Aaron Rosen draws upon his work as a scholar of art and religion as well as his curatorial experience as founder of a contemporary gallery exploring the nexus of ecology, spirituality, and creativity. Rosen will introduce audiences to new ways of understanding established artists as well as exciting developments by emerging artists, who are boldly embracing ritual, contemplative practice, and spiritual subject matter in ways that previous generations often left implicit.

Aaron Rosen, PhD is a writer, curator, and non-profit leader, respected internationally for his work in the public humanities, interfaith dialogue, and the arts. He is Executive Director of The Clemente Course in the Humanities, a national non-profit delivering transformative, free college courses to underserved communities. Dr. Rosen is also Visiting Professor of Sacred Traditions & the Arts at King’s College London, where he taught previously. He served as Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion in Washington, DC and began his career as a fellow at Yale, Oxford, and Columbia Universities. He received his PhD from the University of Cambridge. Rosen has curated dozens of exhibitions and is founding director of the not-for-profit Parsonage Gallery in Maine. He is the author or editor of a dozen books, including What Would Jesus See?, Art & Religion in the 21st Century, and Journey through Art.