"A Thrill of Hope" is an Advent study in words and art produced by Candler Theological Seminary. The 50 minute DVD combines well-known stories of the season with the art work of John August Swanson.
It presents the familiar story of Christmas as told in the gospels of Luke and Matthew. Each passage of scripture is illustrated by and interpreted in the detailed and colorful artwork of John August Swanson along with commentary by members of Candler Theological Seminary’ s faculty (part of Emory University in Atlanta), including Luke Timothy Johnson, Tom Long, and Carol Newsom, among others.
The 6 sessions are divided based on a single work of Swanson:
- Annunciation to Mary -Luke 1:26-38
- The Nativity -Luke 2:1-7
- The Shepherds – Luke 2:8-20
- The Epiphany -Matthew 2:1-12
- The Presentation in the Temple -Luke 2:21-40
- Flight into Egypt Matthew 2:13-15
Each selection is only 8 minutes. We will present the CD over 2 nights (three parts per night) in Advent on Tuesday Dec 10 and Dec. 17) opening with a snack supper at 6:0pm and then going into a discussion until 7:30pm. Each week we will publish Swanson’s three works for that week so you can study the work and read the scripture at the same time.
Here is an overview of the 6 images. The images are shaped an unusual way, long and narrow:
Here is an introduction to the series on Youtube plus a look into the first part on the Annunciation:
Additional links:
1. About the artist
2. His medium – Serigraphcs
3. Catalog
Please join us for this enlightening series!