Three perspectives on a well-known story, the woman caught in adultery in John 8. I've taken some liberty with the details of the story in order to recreate what strikes me as the essence of the scene. I don't know where the comic book idea came from, except that it makes it easier to create strong characters and a punchy visual style.
Where would you put the camera in the above scene? (As it's created in 3D software, it can go anywhere you like!) Where do we "put the camera" when we read a particular story in the gospels? And why do we put it there in that story? Who are we identifying with? Standing in judgement upon? Do we feel part of it or are we an onlooker?
A friend suggested that to engage theology and visual arts in this kind of conversation was to do "visual theology". I love that idea! The visual and the theological journeys are intertwined, and each enhances, informs and refines the other. The process of asking "what does this look like" is a wonderfully rich and challenging journey which gets me deeper into the text than a purely intellectual process ever could.
Maybe this is a kind of Ignatian spirituality for a digital age?
"Mother! Put the rock down!"
Posted by: John C. Hathaway, OCDS | May 26, 2011 at 07:54 AM
Wow! Seeing it this way, the fear this woman must have felt is palpable - really powerful stuff.
Posted by: Karen | February 14, 2008 at 07:01 PM
Fantastic mate - would be interested to have a camera angle from above capturing the whole scene. It is interesting that in some ways a Ignatian spirituality has been more embraced by women than men. Not that i have a problem with this - i don't - but it was a soldier grasping with his masculinity in relation to God and following God.
Posted by: lee barnes | February 12, 2008 at 08:42 PM