The artist at the end of the world
Scott Russell Sanders’s essays balance ecological despair with the promise of human creativity.
art
An incident in Germany reminded me who we all belong to.
Years before Kandinsky, a Swedish woman created magnificent abstract paintings.
Bridging the gulf between conservative Christian colleges and the arts
Does immersion in secular music and literature strengthen faith? Does it destroy it?
We went on with four performers instead of 10. It was invigorating.
In praise of (imperfect) images
Depictions of Jesus reveal God—but never adequately.
Da Vinci was many things, but not a productivity guru
Walter Isaacson offers a clear and enjoyable biography. He also offers life hacks from Leonardo.
While women have historically been bound by family obligations, household chores, or desperate poverty, there have been monasteries throughout history that allowed some to focus on their vocation without those typical pressures.
When I learned that white evangelical women are drawing and painting all over their Bibles, I was caught between judging and celebrating the phenomenon.
Should I let my child color pictures of Jesus on the cross?
The mystery of the beautiful
How can God speak through what is soft and breakable? How can we?
Some painters mesmerize me. Albert Pinkham Ryder, Mark Rothko, and Georges Rouault, for example. Their work glows, albeit in different ways. Yet it’s Rouault I continue to follow. Why Rouault?
It is extraordinary to hear a song reverberating off stonewalls and then dissipate into thin air. The soaring beauty of ephemeral art! Sometimes I find myself holding my breath as the soloist hits a high note or that incredibly awkward person tells his testimony. Do we appreciate that moment? Because many of us are conductors of that symphony, curators of beauty and we don’t realize the importance of our position.
"Revival" usually implies a preacher with great oratory skills. Nashville's Downtown Presbyterian stokes something different.