NEW YORK.- The Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA) is proud to announce an award from the Henry Luce Foundation of $85,000 for a two-day symposium and publication on medieval art. The symposium will occur May 30-31, 2008 and will be co-sponsored by the Center for Religion and Culture at Fordham University , which is directed by Peter Steinfels a prolific writer on religion and contributor to the New York Times.

The symposium will be titled Visualizing Medieval Realms of Faith Today and will offer a collaborative forum for exchange between experts from various humanities disciplines who will strive to examine art from many angles and approaches in an effort to foster greater understanding and even encourage tolerance and interfaith ideals. The symposium will complement the exhibition Realms of Faith: Medieval Art from the Walters Art Museum (at MOBIA from March 5 - July 13, 2008).

According to Lynn Szwaja, the Program Director for Theology at The Henry Luce Foundation, “MOBIA has helped academics and curators to understand the religious meaning of art objects, and theologians and seminary students to reevaluate the ways in which art has shaped and influenced liturgical and devotional practice. The conference and publication will continue this innovative scholarship and address the Luce Foundation’s interests in promoting interfaith understanding and in the intersection of theology and the arts.”

The conference will focus on the Middle Ages when, like today, politics were often driven by religion and religious conflicts. In the symposium, participants will see how past societies worked in regards to religion, and thus may be better able to recognize how such politics continue to work today. The chief aims of the symposium will include asking how medieval art resonates in the twenty-first century (what it teaches us about contemporary society and, conversely, how our contemporary views can uncover/rediscover essential elements of the Middle Ages). The interdisciplinary understanding of medieval art will open a window onto the past and offer a nuanced understanding of this complex society, war-torn and full of prejudices but also the source of timeless works of architecture, art and literature.

MOBIA will produce a publication of the papers as well as additional commissioned essays. A website dedicated to the event and the sessions will also be created. Videotaped footage of the sessions will allow people to experience the discussions that took place, not just the written papers. A chat forum will be available on the website where visitors can post comments about the discussions and create an ongoing dialogue.

MOBIA offers exhibitions, tours, lectures, concerts, panel discussions and other events for the general public and scholars, as well as special programs for children and families. Suggested admission to MOBIA is $7.00. MOBIA is located at 1865 Broadway at 61st Street. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm; Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm; and Monday, closed. For more information, the public may call (212) 408-1500 or visit www.mobia.org.