"A New Beginning" in Granada | James K.A. Smith

granada, spain | "a new beginning"

I was honored to be part of a theological discussion hosted by the Archbishop of Granada in Spain (just about an hour north of the Mediterranean coast in Andalusia). The Archbishop--who is a singular combination of brilliance and compassion, erudition and pastoral care--is an avid reader of several currents in English-speaking theology, particularly the work of Stanley Hauerwas (and the "Duke school") and John Milbank (and those working under the banner of "Radical Orthodoxy"). Sensing the importance of these discussions for the church's mission--particularly in Andalusia--Archbishop Javier Martinez invited a crew of these figures, along with a number of European theologians linked to "Communio" Catholicism, to engage in a conversation in Granada, 7-11 September 2005. It was a one-of-a-kind meeting of theologians, philosophers, and priests, including Stanley Hauerwas, John Milbank, D. Stephen Long, William Cavanaugh, Michael Budde, Daniel Bell, Brent Laytham, Conor Cunningham, Laurence Hemming, Susan Parsons, Therese Lysaught, Kelly Johnson, myself and a number of other European theologians less familiar to English readers (but all with important contributions from which we learned much!).

I have blogged on some of the themes and content of our discussions at the Generous Orthodoxy Thinktank: see Dispatches from Spain 1, 2, and 3. Here I thought I would post some pictures highlighting both our conversations as well as some of our excursions in Granada.

photos | granada

Throughout the Middle Ages, southern Spain was ruled by the Moors and thus was dominated by Muslim culture. On the hill overlooking Granada is Alhambra, a Moorish palace (seen here from the Abbey of Sacramonte).	The design and architecture of Alhambra was nothing short of breathtaking. In this room you can see elegantly carved wood ceiling, intricate plaster work on the walls (will Arabic poetry embedded), and remarkable capitals on the columns.
This is a courtyard in which the sultan would have held court, sitting in the center, under the single window. These photos don't do justice to the rich plaster carving that covers almost everything. Since Islam takes a strict interpretation of the Second Commandment (prohibiting images), Muslim artistic creation finds expression in very verbal forms of carving--with poetry and scripture often inscribed around the entire room.	This reflecting pool looks into the entrance to the main court of the sultan.
This throne room has post-Moorish significance: after the Moors were defeated, Ferdinand and Isabella (the "Catholic Emperors") ruled from Alhambra, and in this very room they commissioned the voyage of Christopher Columbus. This has special theological significance: since the Christianity of this region (Andalusia) was a Baroque, modern form--and since it was largely Andalusian envoys that colonized the Americas, the form of Christianity that migrated to the Americas was very much tied up with modernity.	This is an attempt to appreciate, up close, the carving in plaster. You can see Arabic lettering running through this. The perimeter of the room records an Arabic poem.
Much of the architecture in early Muslim design tried to honor Mohammed's sojourn in caves by reproducing these stalagmite-like formations.	This was the sultan's "country house"--just about a 20 minute walk across the valley!

Of course our main reason for being in Granada was to stage a conversation between a number of theologians and philosophers with similar sensibilities--but whose paths don't often cross in person. Below are some snapshots of some folks involved. One of the things that was most significant about our time together--indeed, what made the conversation possible--was the importance of common worship. Our theological discussions were bookended by morning and evening prayers, which created a unique atmosphere for theological reflection. On top of that, our hosts were just incredibly gracious and hospitable--conceding lovingly to conduct business in English (though it only enabled our American barbarism!), but also making us feel eminently welcome. I especially appreciated the dedicated crew of young people who clearly love the Archbishop and were excited to be able to serve with gladness.

Archbishop Javier Martinez with Stanley Hauerwas, reflecting on what the Spirit might have in store for the future.	Clockwise from left: Laurence Paul Hemming (UK), Susan Parsons (UK), Archbishop Martinez (ESP), Kelly Johnson (US) and Bill Cavanaugh (US).
Clockwise from bottom left: Steve Long (US), Conor Cunningham (UK), Maria, a local reporter, John Milbank (UK), Stanley Hauerwas (US), and Michael Budde (US). [Oh yes: we enjoyed wine at every meal. I brought home a couple bottles!]	From left: Daniel Rouco (Spain), Brent Laytham (US), Dan Bell (US), Joel Shuman (US) and Therese Lysaught (US). [The rhtythms of the day were quite different: lunch was at 2pm, with siesta til 4pm; then we didn't eat dinner until around 9 or sometimes 10pm.]
Sister Joan Gormley on the left, and Elisa Buzzi (Switzerland) on the right.	Michael Waldstein (Austria) with Susan Parsons and Laurence Hemming.
Christophe Potworowski (Poland/Canada) and Stratford Caldecott (UK).	Archbishop Martinez, Stanley's wife Paula, and Stanley Hauerwas.
For a final banquet in the courtyard, the Archbishop treated us to authentic flamenco music and dancing. Fabulous!	Once the professionals left, the locals took over: here the kind folks who had served us all week break out into song and dance. That's the rector of the seminary leading the choir!