Bryn Athyn College
Extends its Reach
The Swedenborg and the Arts International Conference taking place on the
campus of Bryn Athyn College June 6-9 is a landmark event for the College,
putting it on the map for academic scholarship. Below are comments from
President Brian Blair and Co-Chair Dr. Jane Williams-Hogan about what this
means for the College:
President Brian Blair
Bryn Athyn College is proud to host the Swedenborg
and the Arts International Conference. As the only New
Church college in the world, hosting this exciting event
is a natural outgrowth of our mission. Furthermore,
this intellectual gathering of international artists and
scholars represents a significant step toward a future
in which Bryn Athyn College can serve a global
community in studies where New Church thought can
be conducted in conferences like this on campus.
We are delighted to share our top-notch facilities in support of this type
of knowledge sharing.
Contact: [email protected]
Dr. Jane Williams-Hogan, Professor Emerita
Co-Chair of Swedenborg and the Arts Conference
Brief History: It is important to know that the
Swedenborg and the Arts Conference was proposed by
a scholar, Massimo Introvigne, whom I have known for
more than 20 years, due to my work at the American
Academy of Religion. He was the guest editor for an
issue of Nova Religio on “New Religious Movements
and the Visual Arts,” and I had an article in that issue on the “Influence of
Emanuel Swedenborg’s Religious Writings on Three Visual Artists.”
While the issue was in progress, in the spring of 2015, Massimo wrote to
me and suggested that Bryn Athyn College sponsor a conference on Religion
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