Fall Speaker Series
September 27, October 4, 11 & 18, 2005
7:30 – 9:30 PM
Back by popular demand, Michele Averbuck will return to Community Church of Sebastopol to focus on the patronage of Popes from the time of Constantine through the Renaissance. One night will be devoted solely to the History of the Sistine Chapel and the role it has served for the Popes.
Lecture I: Early Christian Art through the time of Constantine ® September 27
We will criss-cross the globe from Imperial Rome to Byzantium as we explore the rise of the Papacy from St. Peter through to the legal founding of the Roman Catholic Church in 315 CE. This segment will look at what sources were used in the design of the earliest places of worship and their decoration as well as the role of the Emperor Constantine and his mother Helen on the founding and spreading of the Roman Catholic Church in Europe.
Lecture II: Power Popes and their Patronage ® October 4
As the papacy gains worldly status we will high light the Popes who paid for some of the greatest cathedrals in Europe as well as the painting, stained glass and sculpture that adorned them. This exploration will take us from the great basilicas of Rome to the gothic Cathedrals of France and the mosaic churches of Ravenna. We will also look at the motivation for the move from the original seat of power in Rome for the Pope to the Vatican.
Lecture III: Sistine Chapel ® October 11
A lecture unto itself. Tonight's focus will be on the founding of the Sistine Chapel, the artists who helped create it and the Popes who funded it. Works of Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino and, of course, Michelangelo will be shown.
Lecture IV: Post Renaissance Patronage ® October 18
Villas designed by Raphael, sculpture and fountains by Bernini and gardens in the hills of Rome are just a few of the high lights of tonight's lecture. The art that comes out of the reformation and counter reformation is stunning and grandiose to say the least and so were the popes who patronized this period. A whirlwind tour of the Vatican Museum and some secular commissions of the Popes will be the focus of this evenings talk.
Persons interested in attending one or all of these presentations can call Karin Seder at the Community Church of Sebastopol, 823-2484, or send an email to Karin at office@uccseb.org.
Cost for the entire four-part series is $30 and checks should be made payable to The Community Church of Sebastopol with a notation in the memo line: Speakers Program. Cost to attend a single night lecture is $10. Checks can be dropped off at the church office or mailed to the Community Church of Sebastopol, 1000 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Checks will also be accepted at the door.
No books or supplies will be required the series. However, Michele will provide a suggested reading list for persons who would like to follow up on any of the artists.
An evening with Huston Smith
Hosted by the Community Church with Copperfield’s Books
Monday ® October 24 ® 7pm
Huston Smith
The Soul of Christianity
Huston Smith, internationally known and revered as the premier teacher of world religions, presents for the first time his own profound Christian faith and convictions, advocating strongly for a deep, authentic Christian faith that is both tolerant and substantial, relevant and vitally connected to tradition. The event is FREE and a portion of book sales will support the Food Pantry outreach program.
