I have to say that this piece of posting is delightful!  No, I am not referring to the words you’re reading by the Man of Spin, but I am referring to the video of Jeremy Begbie, as he practices Theology through the Arts!

The recent movement to consensus to call that has begun to resonate through the community of the faith, is to view one’s vocational context as a vehicle with which to do Theology, which this video delightfully exemplifies.  To be sure this is not a new idea, but a growing one nonetheless!

Who is Jeremy Begbie?  Here is a little about the man…

Art can show us the possibility of transformation through the interplay of tradition and innovation and of order and disorder, says Jeremy Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Research Professor of Theology at Duke Divinity School.

Begbie teaches systematic theology and specializes in the interface between theology and the arts. In addition to being a musician, he is ordained in the Church of England and is director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts.

He is also senior member at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and an affiliated lecturer in the Faculties of Divinity and Music in the University of Cambridge. Previously he has been associate principal at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and honorary professor in the University of St. Andrews, where he directed the research project Theology Through the Arts at the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts.

Begbie is author of a number of books, including “Voicing Creation’s Praise: Towards a Theology of the Arts;” “Theology, Music and Time” and, most recently, “Resounding Truth: Christian Wisdom in the World of Music,” which won a Christianity Today 2008 Book Award. He has taught widely in the United Kingdom, North America and South Africa, specializing in multimedia performance-lectures.

Now for the main course.  Enjoy…

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You can find a number of his books from this PAGE HERE, and if the Arts is something you are studying, involved in, are passionate about, or would just like to read about, I encourage you to make the most of these resources.

To help in this regard, and as an example in our New Zealand context is CATALYST, a movement aimed at equipping and enabling graduates and individuals to think through the theological implications of their vocational pursuit!  I encourage you to check this ministry out!

I also know that very soon they are going to have, as part of this ministry, an on-line bookstore with resources arranged in a good number of disciplines, as followers of Christ have thought through how the Christian faith should be expressed through their particular vocation!

Here is how they describe their ministry…

Catalyst is Tertiary Student Christian Fellowship’s ministry to graduates in the workplace and to post-graduate students and academics.

Our vision is to see the gospel at the heart of New Zealand and New Zealand at the heart of world mission by growing a new generation of graduates who together, shaped by the values of true witness, deep thought, undivided life and global reach, will seek to impact their professions and disciplines.

If you are a follower of Christ, be encouraged to think through the implications and applications of where God has placed you, doing theology at the context where Christ is calling for all of YOU to be Incarnated!

For the Fame of His Name

Man of Spin