This work is a profound and illuminating conversation between two Catholic artists who are also gifted writers. The setting is a house in the woods near Combermere, Canada. The two men are alone, free to explore the wellsprings of Christian art and the suffering that its creation entails. This moving discussion between the two artists and writers is not theoretical. It lays bare the anguish and the joy of a life lived in the service of an artist''s vocation. Includes an eight-page art insert.
Exploring the connection between ritual and human interiority, Clemens Cavallin delves into the deeper meanings behind rituals beyond their outward expressions. The book highlights how ritualization and interiorization are intertwined processes that enrich the understanding of ritual practices, revealing their significance in shaping personal and communal identities. Through this lens, Cavallin invites readers to reconsider the role of rituals in both social contexts and individual experiences.
The analysis focuses on the sacrificial worldview presented in the Vedic Brahmana texts, particularly the Aitareya Brahmana, exploring how these texts legitimize increasingly elaborate and costly sacrifices. It highlights the intricate correspondences established between ritual acts and broader categories, including the Cosmos, Varna, Animals, and notably, Man. The concept of breath as a central goal of these rituals introduces complexities, as the efficacy of sacrifice becomes tied to human interiority, challenging the established system of correspondences and emphasizing the vital powers of individuals.
This book tells the story of Michael O'Brien, one of the most popular Catholic novelists and painters of our times. It covers his life from his childhood in the Canadian Arctic to the crucial decision in 1976 to devote himself wholly to Christian sacred arts, followed by his inspiration to write fiction and his best-selling apocalyptic novel, Father Elijah. The story then continues to the present with explorations of O'Brien's other works. O'Brien's life is one of struggle against all odds to reestablish Christian culture in the materialist void created by the modern Western world. It is a timely reminder of hope in trials and sufferings, of endurance during marginalization and poverty. This is the first biography of O'Brien, and it also provides an introduction to his novels, paintings, and essays. The author, Clemens Cavallin, was granted unrestricted access to Michael O'Brien's personal archive, including his diary from the late 1970s until the present day. By revealing sides of O'Brien's interior creative life--including mystical experiences, spiritual battles, and illuminations—he has painted a portrait of a contemporary visual and literary artist whose inspiration arises from an intense fusion of imagination and active faith.
