A sacred friendship
Byzantine art and Alexei Lidov
Hi Religion Unplugged readers,
Alexei Lidov, the art historian known most for his expertise in Byzantine art, died on May 29 this year. Lidov coined the term hierotopy, which suggests that the creation of sacred spaces is its own art form.
In today’s top story, Roberta Green Ahmanson — chairperson of The Media Project’s Board of Directors and longtime friend of Lidov — writes on their years of friendship and on the ways Lidov’s work shaped her own views of art, the sacred and history.
She writes, “Alexei showed us how sacred space and art breathe with the presence of the divine. He gave us a way to understand how human creativity can build bridges between earth and heaven.”
A Sacred Friendship: How Byzantine Art — and Alexei Lidov — Changed My Life
(ESSAY) When I began exploring the history of Christianity and the art it inspired, I had no idea it would lead me to one of the closest friendships of my life. That friend was Alexei Mihailovich Lidov, a world-renowned scholar of Byzantine art and architecture. The path to that friendship began in 1999, when our family traveled to Turkey for the first time. by Roberta Green Ahmanson
‘My Generation Lived A Double Life’: An Interview With Alexei Lidov
Aleksei Mihailovich Lidov was one of the world’s most distinguished art historians. A scholar of deep intellect and quiet defiance, Lidov came of age in the late Soviet era, navigating a world split between official ideology and private truth. He died on May 29 at the age of 66. In this 2017 interview, Lidov looks back at his life, his family and what made him into an art historian. by Alexandra Nikiforova
A Concert For Peace In Gaza Brings Together Jews And Palestinians
A recent concert for peace in Gaza brought together Jews and Palestinians at a Catholic church in Santiago. Some 500 people attended the concert for cello, flute and classical guitar, with two female voices, organized by the Archbishop of Santiago, Cardinal Fernando Chomalí. The archbishop, who organized the event, is a descendant of Palestinian immigrants. by Graciela Ibáñez
100 Years Since The Scopes Trial: Evolution, Religion and America’s Classroom Conflicts
(ANALYSIS) One hundred years ago this month, Americans were transfixed as a Tennessee courtroom hosted challenge to the state’s new law barring “the teaching of the Evolution Theory” in public schools, including colleges. The prohibition covered “any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible. by Richard Ostling
‘Mother Teresa of Nairobi’: How A Nun Transformed The City Into A Sanctuary Of Hope
In the heart of Nairobi’s Mukuru slum, where corrugated iron shacks gleam under the equatorial sun, Sister Mary Killeen has woven a legacy of hope. Known as the “Mother Teresa of Nairobi,” this Dublin-born Sister of Mercy has spent nearly five decades transforming lives in one of Kenya’s most impoverished areas. by Joseph Maina
Bill Moyers Saw What Newsrooms Missed: Faith Still Matters
(ANALYSIS) Moyers died on June 26 at the age of 91, after a long and complex career in which he served as a speech writer and press secretary for President Lyndon B. Johnson, followed by decades of work with CBS, NBC and PBS. However, before that, the Rev. Bill Moyers was a Southern Baptist pastor in Texas towns like Brandon and Weir. He was proud of those roots and his convictions as a progressive Baptist. by Terry Mattingly
Heavenly Heroes: The Surprising Revival Of Superman And Christian Faith
(ANALYSIS) Are Superman and Jesus headed for an American revival? For better or worse, people’s love of Superman and devotion to God have always been tightly fused. Whether this will lead to a long-term revival for both or just a short-term connection remains to be seen. For now, a lot more people are looking up to the heavens than were before. by Joseph Holmes
How Christianity Transformed And Revived Konyak Culture
(ANALYSIS) This is a mountainous and, until recently, remote area that is culturally and historically distinct from the rest of India. It is also the most thoroughly Baptist region in the world. For example, the church in Mon, a town of approximately 17,000 people, is the largest Baptist church in Asia. It dwarfs surrounding buildings and can seat 10,000 worshippers. by Mark Woodward and Lemwang Chuhwanglim
⛈️ Grief And Guilt: Parents Who’ve Lost Children Reflect On Texas Flooding Deaths 🔌
The grief. The guilt. The giant fog. Matt Collins can’t help but experience the catastrophic Texas flooding — especially the deaths of children in a sudden natural disaster — through a deeply personal lens. by Bobby Ross Jr.
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