TrulyIt’s often been said that art reveals truth, though the question of how, or even what we mean by “truth” isn’t obvious. Antonio Palomino...
WondermentIn the early part of our journey, we lean on the church’s authority. With our feet rooted firmly in belief, we must develop a healthy ego...
Armenia's Cross: A Cosmic Tree of LifeThis essay was first published in The St. Austin Review. The khachkar, or cross-stone, is unique to Armenia, the first nation to adopt...
The Comic SaulCaravaggio’s painting The Conversion on the Way to Damascus is a visual allegory for the figure of the holy fool, who surrenders to God...
Setting Sail for TruthIn this essay, published in Genealogies of Modernity, I explore the themes of truth and humility through Alfred Stieglitz's iconic...
The Place of UnknowingIn this essay I write about Caspar David Friedrich's Monk by the Sea as a visual embodiment of the apophatic tradition. The piece,...
Ghosts in Los AngelesThis essay, which appears in Ekstasis Magazine, examines photographs of the homeless made by the contemporary artist Andres Serrano. I...
The Shape of PersonalityIn an essay inspired by writing from C.S. Lewis, I explore the representation of personality in our visual culture. This piece, available...
Reimagining Paradise and CompassionWhen we speak of compassion we think of human relationships. But the Cosmic Christ includes compassion for all of creation. In this...
Resurrection and the Everlasting ImageOn the occasion of Eastertide, I felt compelled to draw together the story of the famous Armenian painter Arshile Gorky and the Christian...
Portraits of the True SelfI have always had a love for the paintings of Rembrandt and find the complexity of his career-long engagement with the genre of...
A Pronounced Feeling for the Inner LifeIn this essay, published in Ekstasis Magazine, I reflect on the impact of the pandemic on outer and inner rhythm and the stay-at-home...
Birth Through the Virgin and Child Writers were invited by Contemplative Light to reflect on the occasion of Christmas. In this essay I take a look at the difference...
Picturing FaithIn my second essay for Contemplative Light, I discuss the difference between faith and belief and how Caravaggio's painting of the...
Ecstasy in Stone: Viewing Bernini through a Contemplative LensFor my first essay to be featured in Contemplative Light, I explore Bernini's "The Ecstasy of St. Teresa" from a contemplative...