International Research Webinar: Theology, Liturgy, Poetry and Artistic Expression

3 september 2026

International Research Webinar:

Theology, Liturgy, Poetry and Artistic Expression

A Cross-Disciplinary Perspective

This webinar is designed as a space for reflection and dialogue devoted to the relationships between theology, liturgy, poetic creation and artistic expression. Drawing on the heritage of the various Christian traditions, including Eastern traditions, it seeks to explore the ways in which theology is articulated, transmitted and experienced through different forms of expression: text, poetic language, liturgy, song, images and devotional practices.

Particular attention will be paid to the transitions and interactions between these different registers: from theology to poetry and liturgy, from text to image, and from text and image to devotion. The aim, therefore, is to examine how theology, liturgy and the arts jointly contribute to the human quest for meaning, beauty and transcendence.

The three thematic areas provide an opportunity to address broader and contemporary questions: How can a theological, liturgical and artistic heritage be transmitted today? What place should be given to beauty, images and poetry in this transmission? How are new forms of communication and digital culture transforming our relationship with texts, images and religious traditions?

Theme 1 – Art, Creation and Transmission: From Text to Image

From text to image: translation, interpretation and creation
The icon and stained glass: seeing theology and making it visible
The image as a theological language
Artistic creation and transmission: images in Christian traditions
Art, theology and transmission in the 21st century: new forms of artistic creation in relation to contemporary culture

Theme 2 – The Resurrection of Christ: Subversion and Co-optation

The historical, theological, political and aesthetic transformations of the Resurrection, from Dante to Bill Viola, by way of Fra Angelico, Piero della Francesca, Bach, Gounod, Dalí and Pasolini. Triumphalist depictions of the Risen Christ / those that preserve the understated, liberating and subversive dimension of the event.

Theme 3 – Theology, Liturgy and Poetry: Language, Experience and Beauty

Theology as poetry: between conceptual and symbolic language; liturgy and spiritual experience
Liturgy as a space for creation, reception and transmission
Poetry in musical creation: can theology be transmitted through beauty?

Dates and Times

The webinar will take place online over two days, on 17 and 18 November 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., respectively.

17 November

2:00–2:30 p.m. – Welcome and introduction

2:30–3:30 p.m. – Dr Frédéric Curnier-Laroche (with a contribution from Christophe Berte)
Art, Creation and Transmission: From Text to Image

We will only be able to address the contemporary period once we have gained a certain degree of clarity regarding the heritage of the past. To this end, after revisiting the dogmatic definition formulated by the Second Council of Nicaea and clarifying the conditions governing the production and veneration of sacred images, we will examine the function of the image and the representation of Christ in the early Church, before broadening our reflection to consider several distinctive periods in history during which various shifts took place. We will see how the Church responded to these developments which, far from being uniform, enabled it to approach religious works of art while refining its reflection on the role of the artist, whether Christian or not.

3:30–3:45 p.m. – Break

3:45–4:30 p.m. – Workshop

Before concluding the first day, we will devote the final 15 minutes of the workshop to a brief presentation of the themes to be addressed the following day.

18 November

1:30–2:30 p.m. – Dr Agustina Perez, Dr Michel Van Aerde, OP. Far from illustrating an already established theology, works of art take part in shaping it. From painting to music, from sculpture to literature, they have offered slanted readings of the Resurrection that oscillate between two poles. On one side lies an unabashed triumphalism. On the other, a revolutionary event that opens a path of redemption for humanity. Has the original meaning of the event been distorted? An inaccessible Pantocrator, or the gardener of the Noli me tangere?

2:30–3:00 p.m. – Workshop

3:00–3:15 p.m. – Break

3:15–4:15 p.m. – Dr Srećko Koralija (with contributions from Sourur Ajmaya and Marie Trezanini)
Theology, Liturgy and Poetry: Connections and Resonances

We will explore poetry as a space for theological expression, experience and transmission, with particular attention to Eastern Christian traditions (Arabic and Syriac). At the intersection of conceptual and symbolic language, theology also unfolds through metaphor, rhythm, voice and song.

Liturgy represents a privileged space for creation, reception and transmission, where poetry and music give form to spiritual experience and where song itself becomes both a theological expression and a theological act. Beauty thus emerges as one of the paths through which mystery can be heard, celebrated and transmitted.

4:15–4:45 p.m. – Workshop

4:45–5:00 p.m. – Break

5:00–5:15 p.m. – Closing session

The webinar is open to academic staff, researchers, PhD students, Master’s students and other students with an interest in the subject.

To register, please contact Cécile Boucherle at cecile.boucherle@domuni.eu.

Registration deadline: 31 October 2026.

Participants are invited to provide the following information: their first and last name, contact details, affiliation, and a brief statement of motivation.

Participation is free of charge.