Peter Casarella: Cultural Symbols in Religion

Peter has been a Professor at Duke Divinity School since 2020. Before Duke, he taught at Notre Dame and was the founding director of DePaul’s Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology. He has published a monograph, Word as Bread: Language and Theology in Nicholas of Cusa. On November 15, 2024, his edited volume of the essays of Louis Dupré, Thinking the Unknowable, appeared with the University of Notre Dame Press.​In this conversation, Peter and I explored the relationship between art and theology with a focus on both theological aesthetics and the prophetic role of art. We discussed the influence of the Holy Spirit in the creative process, the significance of cultural symbols, and the contributions of Santero artists in Latin American culture. Our dialogue also touched on the impact of Thomas Merton in visual art, the role of reredos and moradas in Christian art history, and the blending of Spanish and indigenous traditions in Latino art as a reflection of cultural identity and spirituality.