Cosmology & Belief

Part of the Art Through Time: A Global View series, Cosmology & Belief looks at how humans have employed art to help understand both the seen and unseen world, backed with interviews of various experts on anthropology, art, religion, history, culture, and art history, who describe the wide variety of artistic forms used through the ages. Some images will be immediately familiar to Western audiences, such as Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam fresco or the Pantheon in Rome; others, including African sculpture or Amazonian tribal dress and dance may be less so. Showing how art can be a medium for addressing matters of faith and religion, the program covers a wide range of related topics, including origin stories, worshipping through image, creating sacred space, and interfaith communication. Other titles in this series—which carries a general advisory warning that some images may be considered either inappropriate for underage viewers or offensive to some individuals—include Ceremony & Society, Conflict & Resistance, Converging Cultures, Death, Domestic Life, Dreams & Visions, History & Memory, The Human Body, The Urban Experience, and Writing. Boasting excellent editing and impressive cultural breadth, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Gieschen)