The church and the contemporary art world often find themselves in an uneasy relationship in which misunderstanding and mistrust abound.

On one hand, the leaders of local congregations, seminaries, and other Christian ministries often don't know what to make of works by contemporary artists. Not only are these artists mostly unknown to church leaders, they and their work often lead them to regard the world of contemporary art with indifference, frustration, or even disdain.

On the other hand, many artists lack any meaningful experience with the contemporary church and are mostly ignorant of its mission. Not infrequently, these artists regard religion as irrelevant to their work, are disinclined to trust thechurch and its leaders, and have experienced personal rejection from these communities.

In response to this situation, the 2015 biennial conference of Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA) facilitated a conversation between these two worlds. This volume gathers together essays and reflections by artists, theologians, and church leaders as they sought to explore misperceptions, create a hospitable space to learn from each other, and imagine the possibility of a renewed and mutually fruitfulrelationship. Contemporary Art and the Church seeks common ground for the common good of both the church and the contemporary art world.

The Studies in Theology and the Arts series encourages Christians to thoughtfully engage with the relationship between their faith and artistic expression, with contributions from both theologians and artists on a range of artistic media including visual art, music, poetry, literature, film, and more.



W. David O. Taylor (ThD, Duke University) is associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of several books, including Prayers for the Pilgrimage, A Body of Praise, and Glimpses ofthe New Creation. In addition to a range of popular essays, he has published articles in the Calvin Theological Journal, Christian Scholar's Review, Worship, Theology Today, and Image Journal, among others. An Anglican priest, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. In 2016 he produced a short film on the Psalms with Bono and Eugene Peterson.







Taylor Worley (PhD, The University of St Andrews) is associate professor of faith and culture as well as associate vice president for spiritual life and ministries at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois. In both these roles, hefocuses on enabling students to see how their gifts and passions can be leveraged for greater vocational impact in the kingdom of God. He is coeditor of Theology, Aesthetics, and Culture: Responses to the Work of David Brown.



Acknowledgments

Introduction (W. David O. Taylor and Taylor Worley)



Part I: Starting Points

1. A Conversation Between Contemporary Art and the Church (Wayne Roosa)

2. Art and Christian Pilgrimage: A Response to Wayne Roosa (Linda Stratford)

3. On the Strange Place of Religious Writing in Contemporary Art (Jonathan A. Anderson)

4. Artists as Witnesses in the Church (Sandra Bowden and Marianne Lettieri)



Part II: Theology

5. Can Contemporary Art Be Devotional Art? (Ben Quash)

6. Graced Encounters: A Response to Ben Quash (Taylor Worley)

7. Something from Nothing: A Theology of Nothingness and Silence for Yves Klein?s Le Vide (Christina L. Carnes Ananias)

8. (Con)Founded Theology: A Haptic Pneumatology for Contemporary Art (Chelle Stearns)



Part III: Worship

9. Contemporary Art and Corporate Worship: Imago Dei in the Twenty-First Century (Katie Kresser)

10. Which Art? What Worship? A Response to Katie Kresser (W. David O. Taylor)

11. Art, Place, and the Church: Thinking Theologically About Contemporary Art in the Worship Space (Jennifer Allen Craft)

12. Finding Its Place: How Karl Barth?s Ecclesiology Can Help the Church Embrace Contemporary Art (David W. McNutt)



Part IV: Culture

13. The Origins and Mission of CIVA: A Symposium (Sandra Bowden, Marleen Hengelaar-Rookmaaker, Theodore Prescott, and Calvin Seerveld, moderated by Nicholas Wolterstorff)

14. Contemporary Artists in the Public Square: A Symposium (David Hooker, Joyce Lee, Steve Prince, and Mandy Cano Villalobos, moderated by Kevin Hamilton)

15. Helping Your NeighborSee Surprises: Advice to Recent Graduates (Calvin Seerveld)

16. Saving the World (Cameron J. Anderson)



List of Contributors

Author Index

Subject Index

Scripture Index