Union City, Tenn.–Dr. Matt Mathews, a fine art photographer, will speak in Union City about the lost art of “beholding”– the visual practice of deep attentiveness that awakens wonder, mystery, and delight in the beauty of the world. If consumer society urges us to see the world as “thing,” he says, then creativity and the arts invite us to see it as “gift.” Of special interest to Mathews is the way the camera can become a tool for awakening a deeper seeing of God’s world and a heart filled with delight and wonder at the mystery present in the ordinary world.
Mathews’ free presentation will incorporate some of his own photographs and thoughts on the spirituality of seeing, and there will be time for conversation following his talk, titled “Recovering the Lost Art of ‘Beholding.’” The talk will take place on Sunday, May 15, from 2 to 4 pm at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 603 S. 2nd St, Union City.
For Mathews, a professor emeritus of theology at Memphis Theological Seminary and a visiting professor at Rhodes College, photography has merged his intellectual, spiritual, and artistic interests. His photographs have been exhibited at numerous venues in Memphis and beyond, as well as published in magazines. His online gallery may be viewed at mmathews.zenfolio.com, and his reflections on the spirituality of seeing may be found at Fiat Lux, his blog on the spirituality of seeing (mmathews.zenfolio.com/blog). For more information on his work, contact Dr. Mathews at mmathews44@gmail.com.
For more information on the talk, contact Carol at 870-834-7888.