Sanctifying Art: Inviting Conversation Between Artists, Theologians, and the Church
Ebook
Overview
As an artist, Deborah Sokolove has often been surprised and dismayed by the unexamined attitudes and assumptions that the church holds about how artists think and how art functions in human life. By investigating these attitudes and tying them to concrete examples, Sokolove hopes to demystify art--to bring art down to earth, where theologians, pastors, and ordinary Christians can wrestle with its meanings, participate in its processes, and understand its uses. In showing the commonalities and distinctions among the various ways that artists themselves approach their work, Sanctifying Art can help the church talk about the arts in ways that artists will recognize. As a member of both the church and the art world, Sokolove is well-positioned to bridge the gap between the habits of thought that inform the discourse of the art world and those quite different ideas about art that are taken for granted by many Christians. When art is understood as intellectual, technical, and physical as well as ethereal, mysterious, and sacred, we will see it as an integral part of our life together in Christ, fully human and fully divine.
”Sokolove brings to this volume her unique combination of
qualifications as artist, curator, teacher, and liturgical scholar,
rewarding her readers with a comprehensive overview that is
engagingly written and pleasantly free of technical language. This
important book is a true pleasure to read and will be essential
reading to anyone interested in bridging the gap between the arts
and the church."
--Margaret Adams Parker, Artist and Adjunct in Religion and
Culture, Virginia Theological Seminary
“Eloquent, insightful, and discerning, Sokolove testifies to the
power of art as a means of grace, clarifies the relationship
between art, beauty, and justice, and urges churches to call on the
artists in their midst. Experts and neophytes alike will draw
wisdom, encouragement, and inspiration from this stellar
work."
--Kimberly Bracken Long, Associate Professor of Worship, Columbia
Theological Seminary
"Deborah Sokolove boldly and powerfully calls us to task for
failing to be dialogical and, most importantly, for failing to
realize that only in the richness of conversation with the artist
can the fullest meaning of a work be derived. Rich, engaging, and
provocative, this work will make a difference!"
--Wilson Yates, President Emeritus, United Theological
Seminary
"Deborah Sokolove has given us a rare gift. She has articulated her
belief in the value and purpose of art in language that is fresh,
convincing, and--perhaps most of all--accessible to and respectful
of a lay reader. This is obviously a work of love, and it is a
great joy to read!"
--Robin Jensen, Professor of the History of Christian Art and
Worship, Vanderbilt University
"Sokolove has brilliantly accomplished what she set out to
do--change the conversation between artists . . . and the church.
She convinces us, with her readable and persistently grace-filled
style, that the church can no longer continue to misuse art or
think of it in problematic ways. Too much is at stake, namely, the
fullness of our life together in Christ."
--Denise Dombkowski Hopkins, Professor of Biblical Theology, Wesley
Theological Seminary
Product Details
- Title : Sanctifying Art: Inviting Conversation Between Artists, Theologians, and the Church
- Authors:
- Sokolove, Deborah
- Birch, Bruce C.
- Publisher: Cascade Books
- Publication Date: 2013
- ISBN: 9781621897521
Deborah Sokolove is the Director of the Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion at Wesley Theological Seminary, where she is also Professor of Art and Worship. She received her BA and MFA from California State University at Los Angeles; a MTS from Wesley; and a PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University. Before coming to Wesley as Artist-in-Residence in 1994, she taught art, design, and computer animation at the university level. Her book, Sanctifying Art: Inviting Conversation Between Artists, Theologians, and the Church was published in 2013 by Wipf & Stock/Cascade Books; Calling on God: Inclusive Christian Prayers for Three Years of Sundays, co-authored with Peter Bankson, was published in 2014. She has contributed articles to ARTS, Image, Call to Worship, and Lectionary Homiletics; prayers for several Sundays in each volume of the Abingdon Worship Annuals since 2011; and for several books on religion and the arts as well as the "Art, Studio" entry in the Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Her paintings have been shown locally and nationally, and are represented in numerous collections. Sokolove is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the North American Academy of Liturgy, Christians in the Visual Arts, and is on the Board of Directors of the Society for Religious and Theological Studies. She is a Steward of Seekers Church, an intentional Christian congregation in the tradition of Church of the Saviour, where she serves on the worship-planning group and frequently preaches and leads worship.