Lord of the Dance? Faith and Art

The relationship between theology and the arts has been a subject of interest to me for some time. The tendency to devalue creativity that does not have an explicit religious function is unfortunate and incompatible with a thoroughgoing doctrine of creation and redemption. This week I had conversations with two young people who have questioned the legitimacy of their being involved in the arts. I mentioned Jeremy Begbie, a systematic theologian and accomplished musician, to both of them. Dr. Begbie is the Associate Director of the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts as well as the founder and director of the international research project, Theology Through the Arts.

Here are some other recommended titles (in no particular order):

• Imagine: A Vision for Christians in the Arts - Steve Turner
• Visual Faith: Art, Theology, and Worship in Dialogue - William Dyrness
• Reel Spirituality: Theology and Film in Dialogue - Robert K. Johnston
• Art & Soul: Signposts for Christians in the Arts - Hilary Brand & Adrienne Chaplin
• Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom & Discernment - Brian Godawa
• State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe - Gene Edward Veith, Jr.
• Art and the Bible - Francis Schaeffer