IN COMMUNITY
The Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre for Art and Spirituality
by Martin Shannon and Timothy Verdon
Fr. Martin Shannon, C.J., was recently named the program director of the Mount Tabor Centre. Mons. Timothy Verdon has been the academic director since the Centre’s beginnings.
Fr. Martin Shannon, C.J., was recently named the program director of the Mount Tabor Centre. Mons. Timothy Verdon has been the academic director since the Centre’s beginnings.
Recent generations of Christians have given renewed and positive attention to the relationship between religious faith and artistic creativity, a relationship that historically has run the gamut from passionate collaboration to bitter opposition. This journal and the Society that publishes it are themselves testaments to the warming trend that we presently enjoy. By now we can dare hope that this development is more than a “trend,” in that some of the voices who have joined in this ongoing conversation represent positions that, at one time, forcefully resisted the place of the arts in the realm of Christian faith. For example, as early as the 1950s and from his position as a professor of English at Wheaton College, Clyde Kilby was teaching a new generation of evangelical Protestants that art, aesthetics, and Christianity belong together. In The Arts and the Christian Imagination: Essays on Art, Literature, and Aesthetics, a Mount Tabor Book published in 2016 and edited by William Dyrness and Keith Call, Kilby said, “The alienation between Christianity and art,” he wrote, “is regrettable for both the Christian and the artist.” Using the tools of his own Protestant theology, Kilby built a sound and lasting argument for closing the wide chasm between art and the Christian tradition.
View of Pania della Croce, a mountain named for the Cross, from Villa Via Sacra, Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre's home in Barga, Italy
A new generation of like-minded voices has risen in the twenty-first century, many of them Protestant, and many also reflecting a deep commitment to the call of ecumenism. The Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre for Art and Spirituality is one of those voices. Officially inaugurated in 2014, the Mount Tabor Centre—located in the hilltop town of Barga, Italy, in northwestern Tuscany—is making its contribution to that beneficial conversation between faith and art, and doing so within, and for the sake of, a vision for ecumenism. The purpose of this article is to introduce the Centre to the readers of ARTS, which can best be done by describing the Centre’s founding and mission.
The Centre’s Origins
We begin not in Italy but in the United States, on the shores of Cape Cod Bay, at the Community of Jesus in Orleans, Massachusetts. The Community of Jesus is an ecumenical monastic community, comprising both traditionally understood celibate brothers and sisters, as well as families with children, couples, and single adults. The Community’s own roots can be found primarily within evangelical Protestantism of the middle and later 20th century, as well as the charismatic movement of that same time period. Compelled by a call of discipleship to Christ that transcends denominational and other ecclesial divides, the Community, from its beginnings, has drawn its members from a wide spectrum of church backgrounds. Today, almost 250 people live together in a neighborhood of privately owned homes, Bethany Convent (home of the Sisters), and Zion Friary (home of the Brothers).
The Community’s founders, who were Episcopalians, brought a high sacramental view to worship and prayer, as well as the personal conviction that beauty could do as much to communicate the love of God as could words and actions. “Doing everything to the glory of God,” an early tenet of belief as well as of action, later found expression in the Community’s Rule of Life. The Rule’s explicit discussion of the arts is contained in a section entitled, “Living to the Glory of God,” which states that through all of the Community’s creative work: “we strive for a level of integrity that will bring honor to God’s name, we seek a depth of cooperation among ourselves that will strengthen the bonds of fellowship, and we aim for a standard of excellence that will present to others a vision of the grace and glory of God” (Rule of Life, chapter 2).
These values informed all of the various art forms that began to spring up in the Community, the strongest of which was its choral and instrumental music. They further were brought to bear when, in the 1990s, the Community embarked upon a course to replace its existing chapel with what eventually became the Church of the Transfiguration, a contemporary articulation of fourth-century basilican architecture, built of stone and adorned with mosaic, fresco, glass, stone-carved, bronze-sculpted, and wood-crafted artwork. The church was dedicated in 2000 and, ten years later, in the autumn of 2010, all of its artwork, as well as its bell-tower, were completed. Though we had no idea of it at the time, the foundation blocks for the Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre were also being set into place.
The Centre’s Origins
We begin not in Italy but in the United States, on the shores of Cape Cod Bay, at the Community of Jesus in Orleans, Massachusetts. The Community of Jesus is an ecumenical monastic community, comprising both traditionally understood celibate brothers and sisters, as well as families with children, couples, and single adults. The Community’s own roots can be found primarily within evangelical Protestantism of the middle and later 20th century, as well as the charismatic movement of that same time period. Compelled by a call of discipleship to Christ that transcends denominational and other ecclesial divides, the Community, from its beginnings, has drawn its members from a wide spectrum of church backgrounds. Today, almost 250 people live together in a neighborhood of privately owned homes, Bethany Convent (home of the Sisters), and Zion Friary (home of the Brothers).
The Community’s founders, who were Episcopalians, brought a high sacramental view to worship and prayer, as well as the personal conviction that beauty could do as much to communicate the love of God as could words and actions. “Doing everything to the glory of God,” an early tenet of belief as well as of action, later found expression in the Community’s Rule of Life. The Rule’s explicit discussion of the arts is contained in a section entitled, “Living to the Glory of God,” which states that through all of the Community’s creative work: “we strive for a level of integrity that will bring honor to God’s name, we seek a depth of cooperation among ourselves that will strengthen the bonds of fellowship, and we aim for a standard of excellence that will present to others a vision of the grace and glory of God” (Rule of Life, chapter 2).
These values informed all of the various art forms that began to spring up in the Community, the strongest of which was its choral and instrumental music. They further were brought to bear when, in the 1990s, the Community embarked upon a course to replace its existing chapel with what eventually became the Church of the Transfiguration, a contemporary articulation of fourth-century basilican architecture, built of stone and adorned with mosaic, fresco, glass, stone-carved, bronze-sculpted, and wood-crafted artwork. The church was dedicated in 2000 and, ten years later, in the autumn of 2010, all of its artwork, as well as its bell-tower, were completed. Though we had no idea of it at the time, the foundation blocks for the Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre were also being set into place.
The Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans, MA; photographer: Robert Benson © 2011 Robert Benson Photography; used with permission
Partly in celebration of that 2010 achievement, and specifically because the fresco artist for the church was from Florence, Italy, a symposium was organized and held at the Centre for Art and Culture, Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, sponsored by the Community of Jesus at the invitation of the Office of Sacred Art of the Archdiocese of Florence. In collaboration with Mons. Timothy Verdon who was the head of that office, M. Betty Pugsley, the superior of the Community, hosted “Contemporary Sacred Art: Life Sources and Spiritualities,” a two-day series of presentations exploring the relationship of art to the faith community in which that art is created. The fresco artist, Silvestro Pistolesi, assisted by his own artists as well as members of the Community of Jesus, completed a clerestory program of frescoes depicting scenes from the life of Christ, related events from Old Testament, and the nations making their eschatological procession to the New Jerusalem. Papers from the symposium were edited by Timothy Verdon and published under the title, Beauty and Life: Spirituality in Contemporary Art.
In the wake of the symposium’s success, conversations began, probing the idea of extending the Community’s presence—its monastic witness and ecumenical values, as well as its artistic vision—to the region around Florence and Pisa. What had begun as a one-time event was being considered as, and would gradually develop into, an ongoing mission. Various members of the Community set out to explore possible sites for this work and, after an extensive search, the present property in Barga was purchased. Necessary renovations were made for exhibit and meeting spaces, rooms for hospitality, an oratory for prayer, and housing for a small representation of Community members both to serve the mission as well as to maintain an ongoing monastic witness. In June 2014, in the presence of local civil and church authorities, and with welcoming remarks and blessings offered by Cardinal Betori of Florence and Archbishop Benotto of Pisa, M. Betty Pugsley and representatives of the Community of Jesus officially opened the Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre for Art and Spirituality.
In the wake of the symposium’s success, conversations began, probing the idea of extending the Community’s presence—its monastic witness and ecumenical values, as well as its artistic vision—to the region around Florence and Pisa. What had begun as a one-time event was being considered as, and would gradually develop into, an ongoing mission. Various members of the Community set out to explore possible sites for this work and, after an extensive search, the present property in Barga was purchased. Necessary renovations were made for exhibit and meeting spaces, rooms for hospitality, an oratory for prayer, and housing for a small representation of Community members both to serve the mission as well as to maintain an ongoing monastic witness. In June 2014, in the presence of local civil and church authorities, and with welcoming remarks and blessings offered by Cardinal Betori of Florence and Archbishop Benotto of Pisa, M. Betty Pugsley and representatives of the Community of Jesus officially opened the Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre for Art and Spirituality.
Villa Via Sacra, Barga, Italy
Mission and Witness
The mission of the Centre is built upon the conviction that, as men and women made in the image of the Creator God, we too are “creators.” Though we differ in gift, ability, and circumstances, the aspiration to participate in the making of beauty is inherent to the human soul. Moreover, the same Spirit who inspired Rublev, Mozart, Dante, and Michelangelo is breathing life into many of today’s artists, musicians, actors, and authors, creating contemporary works of art that are deeply rooted in religious tradition and bridging cultural, ecclesial, and social divides. Recognizing the distortions made by sin and brokenness prevents this from being a naïve notion. As the work of a Christian community, the Mount Tabor Centre is founded upon principles of forgiveness and reconciliation. Hope is not a strange concept in the realm of sacred art. The fruits of artistic creativity may convey this truth as effectively as words (and sometimes more effectively).
This leads to related aspects of the Centre’s mission, hinted at by the names of both the Centre and the historic villa where the Centre makes its Italian home. “Mount Tabor” is believed by many to be the location of the Lord’s Transfiguration, the mysterious and glorious event in honor of which the church of the Community of Jesus is dedicated. Upon that mountain, before the eyes of three fearful disciples, Jesus’ divine glory was revealed in light brighter than the sun yet contained within the limits of human flesh. The creation of art tells us that the material world, indeed, material men and women, may become the transfigured bearers of sacred beauty, truth, and goodness. Ultimately, such beauty is meant to lead us beyond itself to Christ, to point the “way” to God, and so Via Sacra is the name of the Centre’s home in Barga. While supporting the values of artistic creativity, the Centre’s mission is informed by the hopeful vision given on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Finally, the mission of the Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre is fulfilled not only by the many programs and exhibits that it sponsors (see our website), but also by the far quieter presence of members of the Community of Jesus who live, work, pray, and serve others at the Centre’s house in Barga. While the home is maintained, the gardens are kept, the grounds are beautified, and the Divine Office is prayed, the integrally creative principle of “doing everything to the glory of God” is given tangible expression. Sacred art is therefore made in, by, and of the lives of those who give themselves to this mission. Moreover, by means of hospitality extended to others, the Centre embraces others within this creative endeavor. This is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the Centre’s ecumenical relationships, for this predominantly Protestant monastic community has developed cherished ties with the Catholic Church in Italy. This, too, is an essential part of the Centre’s mission. To learn more about Mount Tabor’s programs and books, please visit www.mounttabor.it.
The mission of the Centre is built upon the conviction that, as men and women made in the image of the Creator God, we too are “creators.” Though we differ in gift, ability, and circumstances, the aspiration to participate in the making of beauty is inherent to the human soul. Moreover, the same Spirit who inspired Rublev, Mozart, Dante, and Michelangelo is breathing life into many of today’s artists, musicians, actors, and authors, creating contemporary works of art that are deeply rooted in religious tradition and bridging cultural, ecclesial, and social divides. Recognizing the distortions made by sin and brokenness prevents this from being a naïve notion. As the work of a Christian community, the Mount Tabor Centre is founded upon principles of forgiveness and reconciliation. Hope is not a strange concept in the realm of sacred art. The fruits of artistic creativity may convey this truth as effectively as words (and sometimes more effectively).
This leads to related aspects of the Centre’s mission, hinted at by the names of both the Centre and the historic villa where the Centre makes its Italian home. “Mount Tabor” is believed by many to be the location of the Lord’s Transfiguration, the mysterious and glorious event in honor of which the church of the Community of Jesus is dedicated. Upon that mountain, before the eyes of three fearful disciples, Jesus’ divine glory was revealed in light brighter than the sun yet contained within the limits of human flesh. The creation of art tells us that the material world, indeed, material men and women, may become the transfigured bearers of sacred beauty, truth, and goodness. Ultimately, such beauty is meant to lead us beyond itself to Christ, to point the “way” to God, and so Via Sacra is the name of the Centre’s home in Barga. While supporting the values of artistic creativity, the Centre’s mission is informed by the hopeful vision given on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Finally, the mission of the Mount Tabor Ecumenical Centre is fulfilled not only by the many programs and exhibits that it sponsors (see our website), but also by the far quieter presence of members of the Community of Jesus who live, work, pray, and serve others at the Centre’s house in Barga. While the home is maintained, the gardens are kept, the grounds are beautified, and the Divine Office is prayed, the integrally creative principle of “doing everything to the glory of God” is given tangible expression. Sacred art is therefore made in, by, and of the lives of those who give themselves to this mission. Moreover, by means of hospitality extended to others, the Centre embraces others within this creative endeavor. This is perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the Centre’s ecumenical relationships, for this predominantly Protestant monastic community has developed cherished ties with the Catholic Church in Italy. This, too, is an essential part of the Centre’s mission. To learn more about Mount Tabor’s programs and books, please visit www.mounttabor.it.