MM Thomas - Life, Legacy and Theology

THEOLOGY OF MADATHILPARAMPIL MAMMEN THOMAS
for the Study of Religion and Society in Bangalore, and in 1990, he became the governor
of Nagaland. M. M. did the unprecedented thing of retiring to his local village, where he
lived among the people, and began a Biblical commentary in the local language. He died
travelling on a train from Madras.
The Dancing Saints
The Dancing Saints icon is a monumental, surprising and powerful statement of faith for
the ages, created by iconographer Mark Dukes with the rectors and congregation of Saint
Gregory’s. When completed in 2008, it will be a 3,000 square foot painting wrapping
around the entire church rotunda, showing ninety larger-than life saints; four animals;
stars, moons, suns and a twelve-foot dancing Christ.
The saints—ranging from traditional figures like King David, Teresa of Avila and Frances
of Assisi to unorthodox and non-Christian people like Malcolm X, Anne Frank, and
Margaret Mead—represent musicians, artists, mathematicians, martyrs, scholars,
mystics, lovers, prophets and sinners from all times, from many faiths and backgrounds.
As the congregation dances around the altar, the saints dance above, proclaiming a
sweeping, universal vision of God shining through human life.
http://deacondukes.blogspot.com/2009/01/saint-gregorys-dancing-saints-icon.html
“I have two expressions to my iconography; my personal and my liturgical. My liturgical
work I have expressed chiefly through my Neo-Byzantine icon project The Dancing
Saints Icon of St. Gregory's Episcopal Church, San Francisco. This is a 2500 plus square
feet icon mural that decorates the rotunda of the church's sanctuary and consists of a
depiction of 90 oversize traditional and nontraditional "saints" from diverse times and
cultures from all over the world. They are all dancing with an even larger size Christ.
Among the selected 90 saints are people like Malcolm X, Queen Elizabeth, Rumi, Ella
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