Eyes of the Heart: Photography As a Christian Contemplative Practice

by Christine Valters Paintner

Overview

This is not a book about photographic technique: rather, it is about cultivating photography as a spiritual practice. Adapting the monastic practice of" lectio divina" (sacred reading) into a form of "visio divina" (sacred seeing), spiritual director and Benedictine oblate Christine Valters Paintner invites readers to a new way of viewing the world—through the lens of a camera. Drawing on the Christian tradition of the spiritual senses, Paintner guides readers through six themes connecting the medium of photography with the Christian spiritual life. Each theme provides a photographic journey in which the reader does not simply "take images", but "receives images". Readers are prompted to engage what St. Paul describes as "the eyes of the heart" (Eph 1:18) and understand how through photography, they can see the world around them more deeply and discover anew their own spiritual capacity. Creative exercises offer both novice and accomplished photographers rich reflection. Photos by the author are included.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781933495545
Publisher:	Ave Maria Press
Publication date:	03/25/2013
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts (abbeyofthearts.com) , a virtual monastery offering classes and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She holds a doctorate in Christian spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and earned her professional status as a registered expressive arts consultant and educator from the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. She is the author of Water, Wind, Earth, and Fire and The Artist's Rule, and is a columnist for the Progressive Christian portal at Patheos. She leads retreats and trains spiritual directors, currently living out her commitment as a Benedictine Oblate in the city of Vienna, Austria with her husband.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

1 Seeing with Eyes of the Heart 11

2 Practices and Tools to Cultivate Vision 29

3 The Dance of Light and Shadow 41

4 What Is Hidden and What Is Revealed? 57

5 The Symbolic Significance of Color 77

6 What Is Mirrored Back? 91

7 Discovering the Holy within Us 105

8 Seeing the Holy Everywhere 121

Conclusion 133

Acknowledgments 137

Notes 139

Additional Resources 143