Art & Faith Conversations

Michael Wright works on the editorial team for Fuller Studio and magazine at Fuller Seminary where he received an MA in theology and the arts. He is is a storyteller and lectures on spirituality, facilitates poetry spiritual formation groups and teaches on faith and art. Michael publishes his writings and features different artistic works in his newsletter called "Still Life" which you can read and subscribe to here:

http://tinyletter.com/still-life

Greg LaFollette is a songwriter, musician and producer in Nashville, TN. His latest project, Songs of Common Prayer, pairs the age old words from the Book of Common Prayer to simple yet rich melodies. He is joined on the album by admired vocalists Sara Groves, Sarah Masen and Taylor Leonhardt. Through these songs, Greg helps make a way for honest and deep conversations with God that also inspire hope, peace and vulnerability. He also serves as resident artist and director of art and liturgy at Grace Story Church in Nashville. 

https://greglafollette.com/home

Street artist, Milton Coronado, tells his painful story of tragic loss and how it woke him up to turn his life around. He went from being involved in gang life and a graffiti artist running from the police to painting murals for cities and churches to bring local communities together. He is an educator and speaker and shares his story with young people and communities all over the country. Find out more about his work at:

https://www.instagram.com/milt1coronado/

https://www.instagram.com/street_art_ministry/ 

Former Radio City Rockette and Broadway performer, Cheryl Cutlip, talks about her years in New York City and what it was like to grow spiritually while in the professional dance arena.  She performed in several touring shows and worked in Japan at Tokyo Disney before getting the role as a Rockette.  She performed with Radio City for 5 years and went on to becoming dance captain and then assistant choreographer.  

After the events of 9/11, Cheryl felt compelled to bring hope and healing to New York through the gift of dance and out of that, Project Dance was born.  It has grown to become a movement of dancers seeking to positively impact culture through artistic integrity. 

She shares powerful stories of how she has seen physical transformation of audiences as they watch the performances of Project Dance which has events in cites all over the U.S. and the world.  

Find out more at:

http://www.projectdance.com/

Author, David Taylor, joins me on this episode to talk about several topics that include the state of the union of art and faith culture, dance, beauty and how pastors should care for artists in their church.  He is Assistant Professor of Theology and Culture at Fuller Seminary and Director of the Brehm Center in Texas.  He was an arts pastor for 10 years in Austin, Texas and has authored many books, his most recent one being The Theater of God's Glory: Calvin, Creation and the Liturgical Arts.  In 2016 he produced a short film with Bono and Eugene Peterson to talk about the book of Psalms.  

David completed his THM at Regent College and a THD at Duke Divinity School.  He has published many essays and articles and has a new book due out soon called Worship and the Arts.    

You can find out more about him on his website

http://artspastor.blogspot.com

Seth Haines, writer and attorney, journaled his first 90 days to sobriety in his book Coming Clean.  He describes his book as not being about alcoholism but rather it being about the human experience of pain and our tendencies to run from it or numb it with something.  

When his youngest son was hospitalized as an infant for failure to thrive, Seth decided he was done praying and decided to turn to alcohol instead.  It wasn't until he faced his pain that he began to find God again and healing in the mystery of His grace.  Connect with Seth and find out more at:     

https://tinyletter.com/sethhaines

Musician, Kaina,  just released her full length album, Rise. Producer, Eric Owyoung of Future of Forestry, lends his signature with epic soundscapes and film score like instrumentals.  With the overarching message of the album being courage, hope and overcoming, her songs are anthemic and powerful.  We talk about her creative process, hear stories behind the songs and what it's like to pursue one's art in the midst of motherhood.  

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/rise/1371567059

https://www.kainamusic.com

Greg Boyd is an internationally recognized theologian, preacher and author.  He joins us to talk about his book, Seeing is Believing, a  teaching and practical guide to the vital importance of using the imagination for prayer.  

Many Christians and non-Christians alike, question if God is real.  Greg teaches that the imagination is a tool and God given gift to experience Jesus as real and as a result, leads us into transformational living and healing of wounded memories.

Greg is co-founder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, MN.  He has authored 22 books including the award winning, Letters From a Skeptic, and his most recent books, Crucifixion of the Warrior God and Cross Vision.  He has a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary and an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School. 

You can find more of Greg's teachings on apologetics and other subjects on the network he leads called ReKnew which "exists to encourage believers and skeptics alike to re-think things they though they already knew."

http://reknew.org

https://twitter.com/greg_boyd

Makoto Fujimura, world renown artist, talks in depth about his book, Culture Care.  He shares his profound ideas about culture being a resource we are called to steward rather than a territory to be won or lost.  We talk about the vital importance of beauty to the sustainablity of a thriving culture for generations to come. He describes artists as being "border-stalkers", people who don't quite fit in to one group but those who walk the margins and are able to move from different cultures and people groups.  Border-stalkers can become cultural leaders by using beauty and creativity to ultimately connect us to each other.   

Makoto is director of Fuller Theological Seminary's Brehm Center of Worship Theology and the Arts.  He has received four honorary doctorate degrees and is an alumni of Bucknell University.  He has work displayed across the globe and has served as a presidential appointee to the National Council on the Arts from 2003-2009.  He has also written a book of essays called Refractions and the award winning book, Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering. 

Find out more by visiting his websites:

https://www.makotofujimura.com

http://iamculturecare.com

Matt Tommey is an artist of sculptural basketry in which he harvests materials from nature to create elegant and rustic sculptures for luxury mountain homes in North Carolina.  He has been in the marketing world and his artistry was a hobby for most of his life until he lost almost everything to the economy and God transformed his pattern of thinking from struggling and striving to thriving and freedom.  Matt is a mentor and speaker and has an online mentorship program for artists as well as a yearly retreat called Gathering of the Artisans.  

We discuss his newest book, "Created to Thrive", and his passion for helping artists live the life they were divinely designed for.  Matt also hosts a podcast called the "The Thriving Christian Artist" that you can find on iTunes and Stitcher and Google Play.  To visit his website for more info and find him on social media:

www.matttommeymentoring.com

Facebook/Instagram: @matttommey