Visions of The End

Square Halo is getting into the ebook side of publishing.  We already published a Kindle version of Intruding Upon the Timeless by Greg Wolfe and our most recent ebook is a really helpful little booklet on Revelation titled Visions of The End: A Glossary of the Images in Revelation.  Some of you may have seen or read The End by A. D. Bauer.  The new ebook takes what most people like best about The End which is the glossary of images and presents it in an even more accessible form.  Nice features of the new ebook include; additional images are defined, you can use the table of contents to go directly to the images that start with a particular letter and as with all ebooks, whether you get the book through iTunes or Kindle, it is easy to take it with you on your phone, tablet or laptop.

The thing that is so exciting about this new ebook is that it makes Revelation really accessible.  If you have ever read Revelation, after you get through the first three chapters and you are thinking, ’this isn’t so bad’, you are suddenly bombarded with a series of images that can be completely incomprehensible.  Visions of The End tells you all the places in Revelation where an image is found, it points you to where in the Bible the image originates and it helps you understand the meaning of the image in light of how that image is used in Revelation, and elsewhere in Scripture.  The thing that is so nice about this ebook is that you do not have to start from a particular end time view to benefit from this book.  You can disagree with one or more definitions and still find definitions that help you understand a part of the book that you always found confusing.  Additionally, we are offering discounts on our other traditional books.  How do you get the discount?  Find out in Visions of The End.

A GOOD Look at the Sistine Chapel

There is a wonderful website you should visit to experience the Sistine Chapel, here.

But perhaps before you look around the chapel you should read Dr. James Romaine's essay about the Ceiling in our book It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God. In that chapter Romaine helps us understand the order of it all: "Michelangelo’s frescoes on the Sistine Chapel ceiling represent the Genesis narrative of Creation, Fall, and Redemption as an epic history of divine action. The program is constructed of nine scenes divided into three groups of three. In order beginning from the altar, these are: The Separation of Light and Darkness, The Creation of Land and Vegetation and The Creation of the Sun and Moon, The Bringing Forth of Life from the Waters, The Creation of Adam, The Creation of Eve, The Temptation and Expulsion, The Faithfulness of Noah, The Flood, and The Drunkenness of Noah. The nine scenes that run the length of the chapel thematically group into three triads: God’s creation of the world before humanity, the creation and fall of humanity, and the life of Noah."

Making Art after 9/11

Following are excerpts from a conversation in Objects of Grace between Dr. James Romaine and artist Makoto Fujimura

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James Romaine: Living two blocks from where the World Trade Center was, how were you impacted by the events of September 11th 2001?

Makoto Fujimura: It was a truly harrowing experience; as the towers were collapsing and the fires were spreading, my wife and our children were all being evacuated from the area, literally being chased by the clouds of dust, ash, and fumes of jet fuel, and we didn’t know when we would return or if our loft would even be there. Judy was at the loft and the children were right around the corner in school so they experienced a lot more than I did. I was trapped in the subway, one station away from the area underneath the towers which collapsed in on itself.

Two months later, having been able to return to our loft, we are just beginning to realize what happened. I feel very protected in that my family was rescued right out of the mouth of the terror. The other side of it is a tremendous feeling of mourning and even anger. Living at Ground Zero is a daily experience of depending on God’s grace.

. . . 

In the conversation we had last year, you talked about your art as an expression of “Costly Grace.” While Christ is ultimately the perfect picture of that costly grace, the 9-11 events were another demonstration of the costs of grace.

MF: Christ is the ultimate meeting of God’s “how” and “why” of salvation. And grace is the operative word that fuses the two. We saw these firemen rush to save lives, climbing the falling towers. There is nothing more noble than losing one’s life to save others. This is the greater love that the Bible speaks of, and that love was exemplified in Jesus.

What we saw were two “art forms.” The terrorists’ “art” of vengeance contrasted with the heroes of 9-11 whose “art” was their sacrifice. (I am using this “art” in the classical use of the term, meaning anything we create.) These are two clear opposing ways of creating. Any works after 9-11 will be marked by, and defined by, these opposing categories.

Where Were You?

Funny how our culture marks significant events by asking the simple question, "Where were you when..."

Where were you when John F. Kennedy was shot, when Neil Armstrong took those epic first steps on the moon, or when the Berlin Wall toppled?

In my lifetime perhaps no better answer to this iconic question would be where I was when the planes hit the World Trade Center's Twin Towers. I don't think there has been an event in our collective American consciousness quite like what happened to our country on the beautiful day, September 11, 2001.

Why is that so? For one, millions of us watched in real time when the first plane hit that first tower. We were confused and thought surely this was a mistake. The plane veered off course. We thought this until the second plane hit its twin. That was deliberate. We saw smoke, fire and debris of an ungodly nature.

That second act begs a more significant question then just the standard “where were you”. That question is, “Where was God”?

Square Halo Books took on that question in our book, Light at Ground Zero: St. Paul’s Chapel after 9/11. This book is a compilation of photographs taken by Krystyna Sanderson of the relief efforts after those towers and our hopes collapsed. These photographs document God's hands, feet, and heart in action as Saint Paul's Chapel became the center where the first responders found relief.

The Church open itself up to became a sanctuary to all who bravely took upon themselves the massive task set before them.

And Krystyna's photographic heart captured it all without any expectation that her pictures would ever see the light of day. At Saint Paul’s we answer the question, “Where was God?” We found God hard at work through His church binding up our Nation’s wounded bodies and souls.

Since September 11th, thousands and thousands of people visited Saint Paul's Chapel and purchased this wonderful book of healing, Light at Ground Zero. It stands as a photographic tribute to good triumphing over evil.

Pairing Biblical verses and thoughts from the Book of Common Prayer with Krystyna’s photographs makes Light at Ground Zero very distinctive.  Photographs paired with verse helps make sense out of a senseless act and answers the question, where was God on 9/11. He was there and Krystyna captured Him in action for all of us to see. We recommend this book to you as you face situations where you may be asking, “Where was God when...”

—Diana DiPasquale, President of Square Halo Books, Inc.

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On September 24, 2011, Square Halo Books is helping to sponsor a forum at The Row House that will feature Krystyna speaking about Light at Ground Zero.

WORLD Magazine

We're very pleased to announce that WORLD Magazine has featured Krystyna Sanderson's book Light at Ground Zero: St. Paul's Chapel After 9/11 on their book review page in the Spotlight section. This issue of the magazine focuses on remembering the tragedy of 9/ll. Light at Ground Zero is the first title from Square Halo Books to be featured in WORLD. We have always been so very proud of this book, and are thankful that we could be a part in making it.

08.18.11

Square Halo Books was delighted to release The Art of Guy Chase this past year. It was the second in a series that we are developing that will be focussing on excellent visual artists who are followers of Christ. So it is with regret that we received the news that Guy passed away last week on the eighteenth of August. James Romaine commented that:

"Guy was a great artist and a better person. He demonstrated that a work of art is a strategy of perceiving the world. His art’s humility and humor encourages a delight in the visible through a contemplation of the invisible. Or, is it the other around? Guy was able to see and manifest these as reconciled.”

We are so very glad to have been able to publish a book that lauded this fine artist and a dear brother in Christ. In addition to our book, Karen Mulder has been working on an article to be released in Image Journal that will give an overview of Guy's work. Look for that this Fall. Also, CIVA's new sourcebook features Guy's work on the front cover and on all the divider pages.

A memorial service for Guy Chase is going to be held tomorrow, August 23rd, 10:00 am, in the House of Mercy Church.  Please remember his family in your prayers on Tuesday.

CCR: Comment, Chase and Romaine

It is always a good day when new articles arrive in your email inbox from Comment. Today was especially welcome since it included an essay by James Romaine about artist Guy Chase. Romaine writes: "Chase's art specifically addresses issues that are central to the process of art appreciation: visual inattentiveness, personal incognizance, and spiritual complacency. His art not only exposes these tendencies—which we all have—but, even more significantly, models a life of prayerful faithfulness."

You can read the article here.