Lecture Sheds Light on Visual Culture

William Dyrness, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, will present a lecture on “Georges Rouault, Jacques Maritain and Cultural Renewal in France,” Thursday, September 27, at 7 p.m. in Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery. This free event is in conjunction with the gallery’s current exhibit, “Georges Rouault: Miserere et Guerre.”

Dyrness is an authority on theology and visual culture, with degrees from Wheaton and Fuller, doctorates from the University of Strasbourg and Free University in Amsterdam, and postdoctoral work at Cambridge. His recent books include “Reformed Theology and Visual Culture: The Protestant Imagination from Calvin to Edwards” (2004) and “Visual Faith: Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue” (2001). He has served on the national board of Christians in the Visual Arts and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church.

The lecture will explore Rouault’s role in the Catholic Revival of the 20th century, particularly his influence on French philosopher Jacques Maritain. Dyrness uses images to demonstrate how art affects culture, especially intellectual culture, rather than merely reflecting it.

Reynolds gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, contact Nicholas Price at (805) 565-6162.