Christ College Symposium Art and Liturgy: Exploring the Legacy of Ernst Schwidder

Join University Pastor James A. Wetzstein, M.Div., Ph.D., and Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics and Professor of Humanities and History Thomas Albert Howard, Ph.D., for the next installment of the 2026-2027 Christ College – The Honors College Symposium Speaker Series.

Event Details: 
Art and Liturgy: Exploring the Legacy of Ernst Schwidder
Date: Monday, November 16, 2026
Time: 4 p.m. CT

Ernst Schwidder thought deeply about how art conveyed meaning in a liturgical context. While he worked within the Christian symbolic tradition, he wrote that the artist has a duty to introduce a degree of ambiguity into their work, making space for the viewer’s interpretation, which he believed was authoritative.
 
Does this sort of local interpretation happen? What are the conditions that support this level of engagement? Study of Schwidder’s archive at Valpo, along with interviews conducted at six sites, and current brain science, has led Pr. Jim to some conclusions about what makes for good liturgical art and how Christian congregations can make the most of the art in their churches.

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Sponsored by:
Christ College - The Honors College
The Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics
Career and Alumni Network

For more information, please contact christ.college@valpo.edu.

About the Speaker:
University Pastor James A. Wetzstein, M.Div., Ph.D. recently earned his Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies at Notre Dame. His research involves the work of the 20th-century Lutheran liturgical sculptor, Ernst Schwidder, and questions regarding the role of art and design in communication and spiritual formation.