麻豆AV

Being Human Project

Exploring the art of the flourishing life through the lens of biblical anthropology.

Pilgrimage and the City of God: A journey of beauty, faith, and imagination

One important dimension of biblical anthropology鈥攐f being human鈥攊s that we are pilgrims in this world. This year the Covenant community will take time to explore the theme of Pilgrimage and the City of God, thinking about what it means to be a pilgrim on earth. Pilgrimage encompasses the everyday life of a Christian as well as those times that we step out of our usual routines to take a particular journey in order to give us a new perspective on our lives and faith. In both cases, keeping our final destination in mind gives us direction, shapes the journey, and provides motivation and comfort when troubles arise.

Heading Home: Glimpses of New Jerusalem

From the earliest days, Christians have looked to the vision of the New Jerusalem鈥攄escribed in Augustine鈥檚 City of God and the book of Revelation鈥攁nd seen it reflected in the art and architecture of Christendom. This fall, 麻豆AV welcomes a team whose 2022 pilgrimage from Jerusalem to London inspired the Heading Home: Glimpses of New Jerusalem exhibition and film, inviting us to glimpse that heavenly city through beauty and mystery passed down by our predecessors.

Heading Home: Glimpses of New Jerusalem is a multi-dimensional event series exploring the Christian life as a journey toward the New Jerusalem. Through art, photography, film, and conversation, this experience draws us into the profound question: What does it mean to be a pilgrim on earth?

Documentary Film

The centerpiece is the documentary film Heading Home: A 21st Century Pilgrimage, directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker, Jody Hassett Sanchez, that follows a group of pilgrims led by writer and philanthropist Roberta Ahmanson across a two-week, 4,000-mile journey. From Jerusalem鈥檚 4th-century Holy Sepulchre to the cathedrals of Rome, Pisa, Florence, Ravenna, Venice, and Aachen, and finally London鈥檚 Temple Church, the film traces nearly 2,000 years of Christian art and architecture.

Photographic Exhibition

Alongside the film is the photographic exhibition Heading Home: Glimpses of New Jerusalem by Scottish photographer Kieran Dodds, whose striking images invite us on a 鈥渕ini-pilgrimage鈥� across campus. These works provide a meditation on sacred spaces, using contemporary media to provoke reflection on the nearness of the Heavenly City.

Live Contributions

The program will also feature live contributions from Street Hymns, a spoken word and hip-hop artist, who brings fresh resonance to the theme of pilgrimage and reconciliation.

This is more than an event鈥攊t鈥檚 an invitation to reimagine our earthly journeys in light of the eternal City of God.