After what seemed to the be the fastest passing summer of a lifetime, the warm(ish) breezes of St Andrews are giving way to the cooler winds of autumn as a new academic year is underway!
Transpositions is back and ready for an exciting year of scholarship and reflection.
Our editorial team is returning in full force and we are pleased to also announce a new Reviews Editor. We thank Alicia Pollard for her excellent contributions in that role and as Editorial Assistant last year as she embarks on a new journey after finishing her MLitt here at ITIA.
Ewan Bowlby has returned for a third year with Transpositions, as Associate Editor. James Smoker, Karlee Lillywhite and Matthew Nelson join him, each for a second year. And we are delighted to welcome Elizabeth Dunbar as our new Reviews Editor. This will be my final year as Editor-in-Chief, after contributing to the team for the past four years – hard to believe! I look forward to working with each of these colleagues this year, all of whom bring fresh, exciting ideas for the journal and rich experience in exploring the intersections of theology, imagination and the arts. Read about some of our interests and explorations in theology and the arts on our Team page.
We have been on quite a journey over the past 18 months and we hope to reflect the current dynamic cultural, socio-political, and ecological ‘climates’ with considerations for how theology and the arts speak in to these times.
The featured image reflects the kind of ‘pilgrimage’ we are on this year. The piece depicted is a panel that is one-third of ‘Pilgrimage Triptych’ by friend and accomplished artist Sally Freedman which she made in August 2021 to commemorate the global climate pilgrimage we are on, and to raise consciousness about our responsibilities to the Earth. There are many physical pilgrimages currently underway that will culminate at COP26 in Glasgow at the end of October. We are also on our own individual pilgrimages. Sally’s hope, and our hope, is that physical and spiritual momentum carried by each walker and the group as a whole will increase with each step taken. She celebrates in this triptych that there will be discussion, debate, theatre, arts, and music to carry people along. We pray for wisdom, hope and the commitment to thrive on the earth with and for each other.
Her art and, we hope, much of our work here at Transpositions, can remind us of the powerful energy of uniting as better stewards of God’s creation.
Therefore, this year we plan to offer a series on Climate and Creation, and welcome scholarly and artistic contributions.
Additionally…
In support of the inspiring work done by ITIA’s Transept group, we now have a dedicated page to Transept, where, in addition to viewing their now-regular articles and reflections, you can also access the group’s online exhibitions held over the past two years.
Also watch for highlights of ITIA’s current TheoArtistry word and image initiative on the theme of ‘Revelation’, and an interesting series on the media people have been binging, most notably longform online television series and music playlists.
So much to look forward to! If you wish to contribute an article to Transpositions, please refer to our guidelines and contact us!
We at Transpositions wish you a good, enriching year ahead.
~ Karen
Feature Image
Sally Freedman, ‘Pilgrimage Triptypch #3, Musicians’: Clay relief on wood, each of three panels are 36″ x 12″
