Luminous: Conversations On Sacred Arts

Lisa DeBoer is an art historian, who since 1999 has been teaching at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. She is the author of The Visual Arts in the Worshiping Church — something sending us into far-reaching conversations about the use of the arts in different denominations.

Scott Cairns—poet, educator, and just a supremely wise dude, talks with Peter about how poetry works. But also about how the poetic can function throughout spoken and written communication.

One of the most influential, innovative, and inspired choral conductors and educators in the world, James Jordan has so much to tell us about the sacred relationship between conductor and singer, and more than that: about the human being with the other.

Shawn Wallace is many things—a master of the jazz idiom, a pedagogue, a social commentator, and a man of deep faith. Finding himself an Orthodox Christian, he has brought the rich and beautiful musical legacy of black gospel music with him, showing us all how big the tent can be. We talk about that project, and learn much about his origin story—including the origin of “Thunder.”

Richard Viladesau is one of the masters of the field of theological aesthetics. His work has centered on philosophical theology, in particular the question of how we know God — and really how we know anything. He is interested too in the concept of revelation, both in Christian and non-Christian traditions. In recent years he has become known primarily for his contributions to the field of aesthet...

On a special episode of Luminous, we feature a six-way discussion on the experience of African American Orthodox Christians and the encounter with existing musical traditions in the Orthodox Church. Co-sponsored by the world-class vocal ensemble Cappella Romana and our own Institute of Sacred Arts, we brought together some key voices to help identify some bridges. A typical experience of Orthodox...

The Sacred Art of the Vestment. Deeply gifted in the art of sewing and embroidery, also articulate in reflecting on her craft, Krista adds immeasurably to the conversation on sacred arts.

One of the world’s greatest living bass players, and a person of deep faith, John and Peter have a lot to talk about, such as the inspiration behind John’s composed and improvised music.

Peter and Grant talk about enchantment (and disenchantment), how to listen, learn from the religiously uncommitted. Oh yes and bricolage.

Jeremy Begbie is one of the most incisive commentators on the relationship between arts and theology. We visit many fascinating destinations in this episode of Luminous.

Pageau is an icon-carver, graphic designer, and a public commentator on sacred art and the meaning of the symbolic world. In this episode Jonathan talks about his apprenticeship in Kenya, the sacred in art, and about his video presentations and their following. His YouTube channel has over 80,000 subscribers.

One of the great scholars and teachers of art history, specializing in iconography—especially in her beloved Cyprus—Prof. Carr talks about the meaning of “sacred” in sacred art, and about the Institute’s vision of “exploring the intersection of human creativity and holiness.”

A highly celebrated visual artist, Makoto Fujimura also reflects deeply on art, faith, and the need for cultural advocacy, through his books, most recently (with N.T. Wright), Art and Faith: A Theology of Making . He talks here on themes relating to his art, as well as another recent work, Silence and Beauty —an extended reflection on the implications for art of Shusaku Endo’s Silence.

Long-time professor of Liturgy and Music History, at Yale and Notre Dame, Margot talks with Peter about her work on Hildegard of Bingen—12th-century mystic, poet, musician, theologian—and how music, text, and cosmology can all come together in a harmonious whole.

Professor Junius Johnson, a musician and theologian, has written eloquently about a theology of beauty. He talks with Peter about how there’s no accounting for taste — or is there?

 Musician, philosopher, professor David Rothenberg is author of Nightingales in Berlin , also the subject of a feature-length documentary. His work recording birdsong, and interacting musically with it, leads to conversations on the sacred and luminous, in human and non-human life.