Search results for ""Author Richard Harries""

The Image of Christ in Modern Art explores the challenges presented by the radical and rapid changes of artistic style in the 20th century to artists who wished to relate to traditional Christian imagery. In the 1930s David Jones said that he and his contemporaries were acutely conscious of ’the break’, by which he meant the fragmentation and loss of a once widely shared Christian narrative and set of images. In this highly illustrated book, Richard Harries looks at some of the artists associated with the birth of modernism such as Epstein and Rouault as well as those with a highly distinctive understanding of religion such as Chagall and Stanley Spencer. He discusses the revival of confidence associated with the rebuilding of Coventry Cathedral after World War II and the commissioning of work by artists like Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland and John Piper before looking at the very testing last quarter of the 20th century. He shows how here, and even more in our own time, fresh and important visual interpretations of Christ have been created both by well known and less well known artists. In conclusion he suggests that the modern movement in art has turned out to be a friend, not a foe of Christian art.Through a wide and beautiful range of images and insightful text, Harries explores the continuing challenge, present from the beginning of Christian art, as to how that which is visual can in some way indicate the transcendent.

Read more less

'For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role-model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing.' The Queen's Christmas Broadcast, December 2014 An inspiring and collectible volume to mark the first anniversary of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Majesty is a beautifully presented anthology of Christian artworks and wisdom, interlaced with quotes from the Queen's Christmas broadcasts. Images and text are brought together by the expert commentary of former Bishop of Oxford and House of Lords life peer Richard Harries. Written with a deep sense of respect and gratitude to Her Majesty, this book celebrates the Queen's spiritual legacy, spanning over eight decades. In a life given over to service, her steadfast faithfulness was rooted in her Christian faith, the beating heart of her spiritual life and reign as monarch. From Caravaggio to Van Gogh, Raphael to Rembrandt, Majesty features high-quality images of 50 iconic paintings, from both the Royal Collection and museums around the globe, including The Met and MOMA in New York, the National Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Vatican Museums in Rome, the Hermitage in St Petersburg, and many more. The artworks illustrate key scenes from the life of Christ, accompanied by the words and teachings of Jesus that are found in the Gospels. With these, Richard Harries juxtaposes words from Her Majesty's Christmas broadcasts, relating her faith to the life of Christ and his wisdom, while simultaneously reflecting on how the artists have depicted the scenes. The perfect gift for admirers of the Queen throughout the world, and especially those who share her faith and admiration for the life of Jesus, Majesty brings together the inspiring words of Queen Elizabeth II with the beauty of Christian art and teachings from the Gospels.

Read more less

W. H. Auden, T. S. Eliot, William Golding, Elizabeth Jennings, C. S. Lewis, Flannery O'Connor, Stevie Smith . . . These are some of the great poets and novelists whose struggles with faith find expression in their works, and who demonstrate the fascinatingly different forms that faith can take in different times and places. Richard Harries considers the work of twenty of these writers, painting vivid pictures of their lives and times. He also provides numerous critically sympathetic insights into the spiritual dimension of their writings. The result is a book for readers of all religious persuasions, especially those who are fascinated by the ways in which faith is refracted through the lens of great poetry and fiction.

Read more less

Richard Harries was serving as a soldier in Germany when he suddenly had an overwhelming sense that God was calling him to be ordained. He had virtually no religious background, but like Martin Luther, he could do no other. The Shaping of a Soul is the story of a man who has engaged in some of the major issues of our time and who, for fifty years, has been a much loved voice on 'Thought for the Day' in the Today programme. Bishop of Oxford from 1987 to 2006, Harries was made a Life Peer on his retirement and remains active in the House of Lords as Lord Harries of Pentregarth. In a life repeatedly taken by surprise, he tells how he is still able to retain his faith even in our present highly secular and sceptical society.

Read more less

From Yehuda Amichai and W. H. Auden to Phyllis Wheatley and Walt Whitman, Hearing God in Poetry invites you to take a closer look at fifty great poems by some of the finest poets in the English language. Some are well known, some deserve to be better known, but all say something distinctive that will lift your spirit. This beautiful Lent book for 2022 offers six poems for every week from Ash Wednesday, leading up to Holy Week, with ten poems specially chosen for Easter. A short reflection from Richard Harries accompanies each poet and the poem, drawing out their spiritual insights and how they communicate God’s presence. Hearing God in Poetry is an ideal Lent book for 2022 for poetry lovers and anyone interested in how some of the world’s finest poets have expressed faith in their work. This book of daily readings will introduce you to some wonderful poetry for Lent and Easter, and give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of these brilliant works of literature. It will also help expand your spirituality to see God’s presence in the world around you as you prepare for Easter. Full of riches, Hearing God in Poetry is a book that you will want to turn to time and time again – whether during Lent or in any other season of the year.

Read more less

'For anyone who is fascinated by the phenomenon of religion, this is a deeply interesting book.' Mary Warnock Although we can all give meaning to our lives by trying to live well, is there some given meaning to be discovered? Science cannot answer this question, and philosophical arguments leave the issue open. The monotheistic religions claim that the meaning has been revealed to us, and Christians see this is above all in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Described by Rowan Williams as 'that rarity, a Christian public intellectual', Richard Harries considers the Christian claim in the context of an in-depth discussion of the nature of evil and how this is to be reconciled with a just and loving God. Drawing on a wide range of modern literature, he argues that belief in the resurrection and hope in the face of death is fundamental to faith, and suggests that while there is no final intellectual answer to the problem of evil, we must all, believer and nonbeliever alike, protest against the world and seek to change it, rather than accept it as it is.

Read more less