Seminar “Tillich, the autonomy of the arts and their religious dimension”

In November, the School of Arts and UDIP will host courses from Brotéria, led by Fr. João Norton SJ. The theme of this first course will be “Tillich, the autonomy of the arts and their religious dimension”. In April 2025, the second Brotéria course will be held in Porto, on the theme of “The modern crisis in sacred art”.

Tillich, the autonomy of the arts and their religious dimension
November 11 and 12, 2024
18:00 - 19:30
Room EA008

Register here
· General: 15€
· UCP students and staff: 10€
The proceeds will go to social projects.

Tillich, the autonomy of the arts and their religious dimension

The arts are a reality that cuts across all cultures and religions. Christianity, in particular, has played a major role in the history of Western art as a source of artistic inspiration. However, since the artistic avant-gardes of the 20th century, the secularization of culture and the autonomy of the arts have greatly altered the data of this convergence. Don't the arts, in their autonomy, continue to open up the spiritual and even religious world to which human beings aspire?

In this course, we will approach this problem and these questions from the theology of culture and art of Paul Tillich, one of the 20th century theologians who took an interest in the art of his time and its relationship with religion and Christianity.

More information here.

Fr. João Norton SJ

A Jesuit since 1990, João Norton has a degree in architecture from the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon. He completed his formation in the Society of Jesus with a specialization in Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art in Louvain-la-Neuve, and in Theology of Culture in Paris, with a thesis on “the modern crisis of sacred art”. He is currently a guest assistant at the Faculty of Theology of the Portuguese Catholic University, and has been a resident of the Brotéria community since 2011.

Brotéria is a Jesuit cultural center in Bairro Alto that promotes the encounter between the Christian faith and contemporary urban cultures. It was born as a magazine, now centenary, and has a contemporary art gallery, a library and a vast and active cultural program. It opens doors to the exercise of encounter and dialog as performative laboratories - sometimes desired and sought after, other times unforeseen and uncomfortable, being aware of and assuming the risk that any exposure implies. He always tries to do this in a fresh way, adopting a humble and hospitable posture and emphasizing action rather than declaration. It shares erudite knowledge, building a community that seeks beauty, truth and hospitality.