Ruth Behar, University of Michigan
Art and Belief explores communication between faiths through an examination of contemporary artistic practice. The book discusses how a range of artists – all active in this field – formulate their worldview and what motivates them to engage in dialogue. The artists interviewed include Jordi Savall, Susanne Levin, Marita Liulia, Chokri Mensi, Cecilia Parsberg, and Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. Together, these artists are engaged in a wide range of artistic forms and practice and come to dialogue from diverse religious positions. The aim of the book is to question the assumption of interreligious dialogue as a largely intellectual exercise in defining the religious “other” and to explore dialogue as a manifestation of interpersonal ethics.