Worship, Theology and the Arts: Master of Arts - Vision
The Vision
Throughout the centuries the arts have been vital media for the articulation and
transmission of faith.Through music and glass, painting and tapestry, poem and drama,
people have sought to give expression to the whole range of faith experience.
Protestant traditions raised the arts of speech and music to a consummate level.
Now the other arts are seeking to return to their rightful place in the house of
Christian faith.
Both the work of Christian formation and the task of transmitting the Gospel require a profound engagement with artistic expressions of different kinds from many cultures. Through the arts, people commonly divided by language, race, culture and class can find ways to communicate about the deeper spiritual realities that bind them in a common humanity. The arts can help Christians flesh out their faith in fresh ways that employ all the senses. When art informs theology, and theology helps guide art, we find a synergy of thought, feeling and action that is indispensable for the life of the church and the worship of the Christian people.
Painting by Doug Purnell, Artist in Residence, Spring 2002
Updated March 2, 2004