Kevin Hart discusses his new book Lands of Likeness and explores themes of Christian thought and secular philosophy. The podcast also delves into the speaker's religious background and transformative experiences, the role of contemplation in Christianity, and the significance of poetry as a form of contemplation.
Contemplation is a transformative practice that opens our minds and hearts to new perspectives and experiences, fostering a deeper relationship with God.
Contemplation is both a spiritual and artistic mode of engagement that allows us to see the invisible, appreciate the world around us, and find captivation and release.
Deep dives
The Importance of Contemplation and its Connection to God and Art
Contemplation is a central theme in the podcast episode, focusing on its significance and its connection to both God and art. The speaker highlights the transformative power of contemplation and its ability to open our minds and hearts to new perspectives and experiences. Contemplation is seen as a way to rest in God and form a deeper relationship with Him, moving away from a quest for God and embracing a sense of stillness and intimacy. In addition to its spiritual dimension, contemplation is also explored as a mode of engagement with art, enabling us to see the invisible and gain a heightened awareness and appreciation for the world around us. The episode discusses various aspects of contemplation, including its role in natural theology, the challenges and distractions we face in contemplative practice, and the freedom it offers in terms of intellectual curiosity and personal growth.
The Journey of the Theologian and the History of the Book
The podcast episode delves into the background and journey of the theologian, Kevin Hart. It explores his personal interest in Christianity from an early age and his subsequent pursuit of theology in Australia. Kevin Hart also touches on his transition to Catholicism and his engagement with philosophy and literature. The episode then shifts focus to his book, 'Lands of Likeness,' discussing its origins as a series of lectures delivered as part of the Gifford Lecture series on natural theology. The book examines contemplation, philosophy, theology, and poetry, offering a fresh perspective on the nature of contemplation and its applications. The host acknowledges the significance of Kevin Hart's wife's photograph featured on the book cover, representing contemplation and setting the tone for the discussions to come.
Differentiating Prayer, Meditation, and Contemplation
The podcast episode explores the distinct characteristics of prayer, meditation, and contemplation. It clarifies that prayer extends beyond simply making requests or petitions to God, encompassing both contemplative and meditative dimensions. Meditation is described as a discursive process involving the exploration of a particular topic or text, while contemplation is highlighted as a non-discursive practice that transcends linear thinking and allows for a deeper resting in God. The speaker dives into the subject-object relationship inherent in each of these practices, emphasizing that contemplation moves beyond viewing God as an object to be sought after and instead offers a relational experience of resting in God's truth.
The Influence of Philosophers on Contemplation and Natural Theology
The podcast episode touches on the influence of philosophers like Kant, Schopenhauer, and other thinkers on the concept of contemplation and its relationship to natural theology. It is noted that contemplation has both religious and natural dimensions, with ancient Greeks engaging in contemplation even before the advent of Christianity. The philosophical tradition, including figures like Kant and Schopenhauer, sought to recover and expand the notion of natural contemplation. The episode highlights that while natural theology often looks for signs of God in the natural world or employs rational proofs for God's existence, contemplation can go beyond these methods and involve non-discursive states of mind. The idea of contemplation as an engagement with both nature and art is also explored, with art seen as a means of captivation and release from the difficulties of life.
Kevin Hart (editor) grew up in London and Brisbane, and now lives in the USA. He is the author of nine collections of poetry, including Flame Tree: Selected Poems (2002). He has won both the Victorian and NSW Premiers’ Awards for Poetry, and the Christopher Brennan Award for a sustained contribution to Australian poetry. His published works include studies of Jacques Derrida, A.D. Hope, Samuel Johnson, and Maurice Blanchot, and a translation of the poems of Giuseppe Ungaretti. In this episode, we discuss contemplation from Hart's new book Lands of LikenessFor a Poetics of Contemplation.
Book link: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/L/bo202441956.html