Petra Carlsson-Redell: Aesthetics and Radical Theology

Petra is professor of systematic theology and head of the Center for Theology, Ecology, and Culture at Stockholm School of Theology. She does research in the borderland of theology, art, performance, and environmental activism. She is co-founder of a surrealist and theology collective called The International Congress for Infrathin Studies. She is the author of "Mysticism as Revolt", "Foucault, Art, and Radical Theology: The Mystery of Things" and "Avantgarde Art and Radical Material Theology: A Manifesto". Petra is also an ordained minister in the Lutheran Church of Sweden.

​In this episode, Petra and I discuss the intersection of aesthetics, spirituality, and theology, exploring Michel Foucault's groundbreaking work on painting and its impact on the contemporary understanding of materiality and corporeality in spirituality. From 20th-century philosophers bridging the gap between art and theology to the use of diverse imagery in representing religious beliefs, we navigated the complex terrain where radical theology, mysticism, and political artistic activism converge.