Christian Solar Symbolism and Jesus the Sun of Justice

Kevin Duffy's pioneering study explores how biblical light motifs were taken up with energy in the early Church. He argues that we need to reconnect with the sun and its light to appreciate the meaning of light in the Bible and Christian tradition. Liturgy, architecture, poetry, and the writings of saints and theologians offer resources for a ressourcement of solar themes, which have been neglected in the modern era. Duffy proposes a creative retrieval of Christ as the Sun of Justice, which blends the personal, social, and cosmic/ecological and speaks powerfully to a secularising era.

Format: Hardback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

This groundbreaking exploration of Christian sun symbolism delves into the captivating way in which biblical light motifs were embraced with fervor in the early Church. Kevin Duffy contends that in our modern world, characterized by constant illumination, it is essential to reestablish a connection with the sun and its radiant light to fully comprehend the profound significance of light within the Bible and Christian tradition. Through this revitalized retrieval, we can gain a deeper appreciation of Pope Francis' assertion that, akin to the moon, the Church does not possess its own light, and evaluate the argument that the Eucharist should be celebrated "Ad Orientem," or towards the rising sun in the East. The rich tapestry of liturgy, architecture, poetry, and the writings of saints and theologians, including Augustine, Hildegard of Bingen, Francis of Assisi, and Thomas Traherne, provides an abundance of resources for a much-needed revitalization.

While Christ was heralded as the True Sun among sun-worshipping Aztecs, and the consecrated host was placed in a solar monstrance on Baroque altars, in the contemporary era, solar themes have been somewhat neglected. In this accessible work, the author proposes a transformative rebalancing of spiritual symbolism, emphasizing the importance of light and the sun over darkness and clouds. He suggests a creative retrieval of the traditional title of Christ as the Sun of Justice, a title that seamlessly blends the personal, social, and cosmic/ecological dimensions, resonating powerfully in a secularizing era that both Friedrich Nietzsche and Thérèse of Lisieux characterized as one where the sun fails to shine.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780567700100