Love and Humility in Politics

As part of this year's CCT Table Conference, Biola art professor Jonathan Anderson and Los Angeles-based artist Nery Gabriel Lemus will be speaking about love of neighbor as a theme in contemporary art. Join us on Saturday, September 17 at 9:00am for this thought-provoking session.

This year's Center for Christian Thought's Table Conference brings together Christian scholars, thought leaders, cultural influencers and practitioners to explore the topic of politics beyond the current polarizing election season in order to help us see the greater issues that shape our communities while understanding ourselves and one another as humble creatures bearing the image of God.

For a complete schedule of the entire CCT Table Conference and to register for the conference please visit: cct.biola.edu/table16

WHEN: Friday, September 16, 2016 at 1:00pm - 10:30pm (including a concert by The Brilliance) and Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 9:00am - 6:00pm

WHERE: Biola University Center for Christian Thought at 13800 Biola Avenue, La Mirada, CA 90639 - View Map

A native of Southern California, Nery Gabriel Lemus was born in Los Angeles, in 1977. The subjects in his work range from issues of stereotype and immigration to problems in society that can lead to the failure of families, such as poverty, abuse and neglect. Lemus received his BFA at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (2007) and his MFA at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California (2009). Lemus also attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine (2008).

His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Steve Turner Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA; The Bindery Projects, Minneapolis, MN; Project Row Houses, Houston, TX. Group exhibitions include, Fútbol: The Beautiful Game, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; Made in L.A. 2012, organized by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LA><ART, Los Angeles, CA; dia a dia/ day by day, The 9.99 Gallery, Guatemala City, Guatemala; OZ: New Offerings From Angel City, Museo Regional Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico; 2010 Border Art Biennial, El Paso Museum, El Paso, Texas; Common Ground, California African-American Museum, Los Angeles, CA and exhibitions at the Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, CA; Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA; Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN; Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Torrance Art Museum, Torrance, CA; Centro Cultural Paseo del Norte, Chihuahua, Mexico and the Centro Cultural Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico, among others.

He is a recipient of a COLA Fellowship Grant from the Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles, and the Rema Hort Mann Foundation Fellowship Award. He is represented by Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles.
Artist website: http://www.nerygabriellemus.com

Jonathan Anderson is an artist, art critic, and associate professor of art at Biola University. He is the coauthor with theologian William Dyrness of the book Modern Art and the Life of a Culture: The Religious Impulses of Modernism (IVP Academic, 2016).

Why Love and Humility in Politics?

Love conquers fear. Humility overcomes pride.
It's too easy to be cynical, anxious, and fearful about the state of the world right now. The American political circus, the threat of extremism and hate, violence that we watch in our streets and on our screens, the worst refugee problem since WWII... these things leave us confused, enraged, or numb. But the path of Jesus is clarity, serene confidence, and empathy. The way of Jesus is shalom—flourishing with God, with neighbor, and within. How can we remain on a path of Christian wisdom in the midst of chaos?

How can love and humility change things for the better?
The Table Conference this year is an exploration of politics beyond the election, of neighbor love and confident humility in everyday life. We bring together Christian scholars, thought leaders, and cultural influencers in order to expose the church to the big ideas that shape life as individuals in communities.

Love and humility have changed the world.
The virtues of love and humility encourage us to see beyond party politics and a culture of narcissism, to love each other as neighbors with needs. To see ourselves rightly as humble creatures bearing the image of God.