James T. Hadley | Pontifical Gregorian University (original) (raw)
James Thomas Hadley, an Oblate of Saint Benedict, is a priest in the Church of England currently serving as the Chaplain of Holy Cross Church Palermo in the Diocese in Europe. Previously he lectured in the history and theology of Liturgical Art and Architecture at The Catholic University of America's Rome Campus. He is also a liturgical artist, designer and consultant whose work includes private commissions, as well as studio work with architecture students.
He holds a PhD (Liturgical Studies) from the Catholic University of Ireland, a STL (Liturgical Studies/Sacramental Theology) and STB (Theology) from the Catholic University of America, as well as, a BA in Theology and Philosophy from Loyola University Chicago. He has studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University faculty of Beni Culturali, the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, and Vatican Museums.
Research interests include, the relationship between Liturgy and the Arts, Aesthetics, Eschatology, and Cultural Management.
Address: Holy Cross Anglican Church Palermo
Via Mariano Stabile 118b
Palermo (PA)
90139 Italy
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Papers by James T. Hadley
Anaphora, 2017
There is an amazing breadth between what would become Roman Catholic art and Protestant art, if w... more There is an amazing breadth between what would become Roman Catholic art and Protestant art, if we may call it that for the ease of identification recognizing the non-homogeneity of religious fervor, at the time of sixteenth century reform movements. In many ways art on the aesthetic level, just like liturgy, theology and church structures, was grappling with issues of semantic control, or the lack thereof, in the conflictual environment of ideas. Two diverging trends appeared in liturgical art; one traditional, focused upon the visual perception of faith common to Orthodox and Roman Catholic heritage, and another contrary move towards a new non-visual, textual perception of faith rooted in new reforming ideas first articulated most clearly in Martin Luther. In an effort to 'control' the interpretation of sacred scripture and theological agendas Martin Luther would leave behind a heritage of an artistic aesthetic derived from the word. In the case of liturgical art, this word was not the image of Christ, though there is an obvious linkage as we shall see, but the medium of the printed and stenciled text that was meant to limit, clarify and in the end, endue certainty and sanctity through the power of its textual world; What the world of paint could not control, the world of grammar could with its structure of order-of subject, noun, verb, and preposition.
Scenography is today defined as the study and practice of design for artistic performances. At it... more Scenography is today defined as the study and practice of design for
artistic performances. At its origin the concept emerged from GrecoHellenistic drama and then came to be applied to Renaissance and Baroque church architecture. In light of a renewed contemporary interest
in scenographic studies the author reviews the origins of scenography
and its historic application to liturgical architecture. The article concludes suggesting how scenography, past and present, might inform liturgical theology and praxis today, especially as it relates to the creation of integrated liturgical environments of worship that facilitate embodied sacramental experiences of redemption.
The freedom of the arts in liturgy is not an uncontested proposition. Yet both the history of wo... more The freedom of the arts in liturgy is not an uncontested proposition. Yet both the history of worship and of art confirm that in every liturgical epoch the plastic arts have struggled to maintain a groping search for their own proper character even when pressed into service of the liturgy. The intersection of art and liturgical reform in the contemporary period is a particularly significant point of reference, since only in this era have the arts been so radically and thoroughly transformed by philosophy and changing social structures. To this end, the following article recounts the emergence of the concept of artistic freedom in modernity and its application within the 20th century liturgical renewal and the Second Vatican Council.
Anaphora 9.2 (2015): 71-102 The image of the ‘Good Shepherd’ is readily recognized as one of the ... more Anaphora 9.2 (2015): 71-102
The image of the ‘Good Shepherd’ is readily recognized as one of the primary images of early Christian art. The figure is well studied as an element of sarcophagi and catacomb art, but is less considered in baptismal contexts, probably due to its early and limited appearance in baptisteries (Ferguson 2009, 463; Jensen 2012,
183). This article reviews the development of the image and concept of the Good Shepherd and suggests a stronger role for the image in regard to early Christian baptism.
Previous studies of early Christian beliefs have portrayed the community as being highly anti-mat... more Previous studies of early Christian beliefs have portrayed the community as being highly anti-materialist and anti-social. It was argued that Christians rejected the category of “sacred space” and exhibited only secular and functional behavior regarding place. Beginning in the late 1970’ a growing body of scientific literature has questioned the veracity of these claims. Reviewing the material culture record in the first four centuries of the Christian community (architecture, objects, art) this article proposes that Christians were far more culturally homogeneous in Late Antiquity, and accepted in large part the
material mediation of the divine.
Ars et Historia, Apr 2014
Anaphora, 2017
There is an amazing breadth between what would become Roman Catholic art and Protestant art, if w... more There is an amazing breadth between what would become Roman Catholic art and Protestant art, if we may call it that for the ease of identification recognizing the non-homogeneity of religious fervor, at the time of sixteenth century reform movements. In many ways art on the aesthetic level, just like liturgy, theology and church structures, was grappling with issues of semantic control, or the lack thereof, in the conflictual environment of ideas. Two diverging trends appeared in liturgical art; one traditional, focused upon the visual perception of faith common to Orthodox and Roman Catholic heritage, and another contrary move towards a new non-visual, textual perception of faith rooted in new reforming ideas first articulated most clearly in Martin Luther. In an effort to 'control' the interpretation of sacred scripture and theological agendas Martin Luther would leave behind a heritage of an artistic aesthetic derived from the word. In the case of liturgical art, this word was not the image of Christ, though there is an obvious linkage as we shall see, but the medium of the printed and stenciled text that was meant to limit, clarify and in the end, endue certainty and sanctity through the power of its textual world; What the world of paint could not control, the world of grammar could with its structure of order-of subject, noun, verb, and preposition.
Scenography is today defined as the study and practice of design for artistic performances. At it... more Scenography is today defined as the study and practice of design for
artistic performances. At its origin the concept emerged from GrecoHellenistic drama and then came to be applied to Renaissance and Baroque church architecture. In light of a renewed contemporary interest
in scenographic studies the author reviews the origins of scenography
and its historic application to liturgical architecture. The article concludes suggesting how scenography, past and present, might inform liturgical theology and praxis today, especially as it relates to the creation of integrated liturgical environments of worship that facilitate embodied sacramental experiences of redemption.
The freedom of the arts in liturgy is not an uncontested proposition. Yet both the history of wo... more The freedom of the arts in liturgy is not an uncontested proposition. Yet both the history of worship and of art confirm that in every liturgical epoch the plastic arts have struggled to maintain a groping search for their own proper character even when pressed into service of the liturgy. The intersection of art and liturgical reform in the contemporary period is a particularly significant point of reference, since only in this era have the arts been so radically and thoroughly transformed by philosophy and changing social structures. To this end, the following article recounts the emergence of the concept of artistic freedom in modernity and its application within the 20th century liturgical renewal and the Second Vatican Council.
Anaphora 9.2 (2015): 71-102 The image of the ‘Good Shepherd’ is readily recognized as one of the ... more Anaphora 9.2 (2015): 71-102
The image of the ‘Good Shepherd’ is readily recognized as one of the primary images of early Christian art. The figure is well studied as an element of sarcophagi and catacomb art, but is less considered in baptismal contexts, probably due to its early and limited appearance in baptisteries (Ferguson 2009, 463; Jensen 2012,
183). This article reviews the development of the image and concept of the Good Shepherd and suggests a stronger role for the image in regard to early Christian baptism.
Previous studies of early Christian beliefs have portrayed the community as being highly anti-mat... more Previous studies of early Christian beliefs have portrayed the community as being highly anti-materialist and anti-social. It was argued that Christians rejected the category of “sacred space” and exhibited only secular and functional behavior regarding place. Beginning in the late 1970’ a growing body of scientific literature has questioned the veracity of these claims. Reviewing the material culture record in the first four centuries of the Christian community (architecture, objects, art) this article proposes that Christians were far more culturally homogeneous in Late Antiquity, and accepted in large part the
material mediation of the divine.
Ars et Historia, Apr 2014