Nick Olkovich - Professor of Theology and Philosophy -Part 1
My chat with Assistant Professor Nick Olkovich about Iconography and the use of imagery in Religion
Welcome! This is David Youn and this podcast is called My View Finder. I’m looking to get to some of the roots questions behind why we photographers do what we do. To start of this second season of weekly episodes I’ve moved completely away from photography. I called my friend Nick Olkovich. Nick and I went to school together many years ago when I masqueraded as a philosophy major. Nick is an Assistant Professor and Marie Anne Blondin Chair in Catholic Theology at St. Mark’s College in Vancouver. I wanted to start with Nick because I was interested in imagery and iconography. And while I could do with searching for art historians and aesthetics… I thought what better place than the use of imagery in religion.
Nick’s got a fascinating perspective both in his field and in our discussion being informed by the more contemporary writings of Bernard Lonergan - the Jesuit Priest Philosopher who, if I understand this correctly, sought to work with both rational and empirical data and the spiritual experiences of the unintelligible. Something he coined Critical Realism - according to wikipedia at least.
Imagery, it seems, are influenced by cultural context but can be gateways into a greater sense of fulfillment and, dare I say, the spiritual connection with our world. Photography has a direct relationship here. One that I’ll continue to explore moving forward.
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We are now a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Check out APN for more information and links to the huge podcasting community here in Alberta.
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This episode's sponsor are CPA Alberta - Chartered Professional Accountants are here to help you navigate your personal or business financial planning during the COVID pandemic; and The YEG Podfest - a three-day celebration of podcasting, a collaboration of LitFest and the Alberta Podcast Network, presented by the Edmonton Community Foundation and funded in part by the Edmonton Arts Council
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We are now a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network - Locally Grown, Community Supported. Check out APN for more information and links to the huge podcasting community here in Alberta.
***
This episode's sponsor are CPA Alberta - Chartered Professional Accountants are here to help you navigate your personal or business financial planning during the COVID pandemic; and The YEG Podfest - a three-day celebration of podcasting, a collaboration of LitFest and the Alberta Podcast Network, presented by the Edmonton Community Foundation and funded in part by the Edmonton Arts Council