The Call To Create Culture

Journal of Christian Education and Information Technology, 2018

This paper proposes a biblical and theological rationale for art education in Christian schools. I first examine art and art education as components of the original, Edenic cultural mandate, and then under the renewed cultural commission signified in the resurrection. I argue that in the post-fall context, the cultural mandate for art and art education must incorporate consciousness of what some have called a cultural 'antithesis'. That is, the practice and teaching of art are properly undertakings of the body of Christ and must be always mindful of sin.

Syllabus for "Theological Interpretation of the Arts," Fall Semester 2015, at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota

2017

2016

Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), 2022

I presented my paper, "The Artistic Reception of Luke 16:19–31: Medieval, Modern, and Contemporary," for the Bible and Visual Arts Program Unit at the 2022 SBL Annual Meeting in Denver CO on Nov. 19, 2022. I am grateful to the chairs (Drs. Ian Boxall [CUA], Heidi J. Hornik [Baylor], and Meredith Massar Munson [GTU]) for affording me the opportunity to present my research, which is an abridged chapter in my forthcoming monograph with Lexington/Fortress Academic Press. From the Program Unit CFP: Description: The purpose of the section is to provide a forum at the national SBL to explore historical, hermeneutical, theological, iconographic, and/or theoretical aspects related to the interpretation of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures in visual art through the centuries. Call for papers: The Bible and Visual Art section welcomes submissions for the following two sessions at the Annual Meeting in 2022: (1) We invite proposals on the Bible and art of Indigenous North American and Latin American cultures, and especially encourage proposals related to biblical art in public spaces in the Denver area; (2) For our open session, we invite proposals that fall within our broad purpose: to explore historical, hermeneutical, theological, iconographic and/or theoretical aspects related to the interpretation of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures in visual art through the centuries. There will also be a third session, joint with the Gospel of Luke section, postponed from 2021 (papers already approved).

Intersect Project, 2018

I was selected to participate in the Center for Faith and Culture's (CFC) Mentorship Program for the 2018-19 academic year at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This year's theme is "Faith and the Arts," hence, this essay. The e-published version can be accessed here on the Intersect Project's website: http://intersectproject.org/faith-and-culture/art-gods-visible-sermon-to-the-world. The thesis of my essay is that the term “art” is inherently inclusive of more than just the "fine arts," and I argue that God, the divine Artist, created humanity as his co-creators to bring him glory through worshiping him with our entire being—including our imagination and creativity. In doing so, Christians become culture changers—loving, serving and caring for their neighbors’ souls. Thus, art becomes a visible sermon to the world through the conduit of Christ’s church.

Syllabus for the graduate course, "Theological Interpretation of the Arts," for the fall 2014 semester at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. The course theologically examines cross-cultural artistic expressions of painting, photography, film, theater, poetry, music, and Outsider Art (Art Brut).

The Oxford Handbook of the Bible in America, ed. Paul Gutjahr , 2017

An artwork picturing biblical subject matter is never a straightforward depiction of a scriptural text. It is a visual translation of it, shaped by available models of interpretation, the aesthetic styles and visual cultures of the era, and the cultural contexts of its production, display, circulation, and reception. This chapter analyzes specific examples of American art to showcase the four primary functions performed by biblical subject matter throughout the nation's history: to deliver moral instruction, engage sociopolitical concerns, assert communal identity, and render cultural criticism. The expansive and varied visual landscape that results testifies to the bible's centrality in American art history.

Course Description How can art, creativity, and imagination help us be better Bible readers, preachers, and teachers? This immersion course brings students into a dynamic conversation between biblical scholars and artists engaging the Word of God. We will engage what scholars are calling " visual exegesis " of the Bible, its relationship to other modes of biblical exegesis, and its potential for preaching and Bible study in local churches. The class will include case studies of contemporary artists from different backgrounds (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and secular), close engagements with the Bible as handled by different artists, and site visits to local depositories of sacred art. Topics include biblical characters and symbolism, social justice and the arts, interreligious dialogue, and the theologies and cultural contexts of different artists.