Jenan Taylor
13 July 2023
Women academics will explore how faith intersects with culture at an upcoming evangelical conference.
Organiser and Ridley College lecturer the Reverend Hannah Craven said the theme Beauty as Witness: Art, Poverty and ethics in Christian Theology canvassed beauty in a wide sense, from the beauty of the world to that of creativity.
Ms Craven said the aim was to encourage in attendees the sense that theology connected with all of life and lots of different areas of people’s lives.
“It’s in the architecture around us, in psychology, fashion, in our art practice,” she said.
Ms Craven said the keynote speaker Baylor University’s Dr Natalie Carnes, would be probing the justification for art in a world that was filled with poverty.
She said the conference would also feature artist and Common Grace relationships and storytelling coordinator Safina Stewart, and Australian Catholic University academic Naomi Wolfe among the presenters.
Ms Wolfe’s discussion would examine poverty and Indigenous communities, and the way Australians think and interact with that, Ms Craven said.
Wuthithi and Mabuiag Island woman Ms Stewart will present a hands-on workshop and talk about her relationship with God.
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Ms Stewart said the creative arts and storytelling had long been deep expressions of spirituality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
Reflecting on her experience as an Indigenous Christian woman, Ms Stewart said art and storytelling were an embodied expression of her spirituality, culture and womanhood.
She said storytelling was a powerful tool that could connect people with spirit, self and others.
“It cuts further than mere intellect into deep memory, spirit and soul to become an embodied experience for both listener and teller. Storytelling expands empathy, sharpens understanding and dismantles indifference,” Ms Stewart said.
She said she hoped her offering would encourage attendees to value each other’s stories, spark passionate conversation and build a collective creative courage.
The conference will be held on 28th and 29th July. For more details and to book, see here.
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