Faith in the Arts

Last time, Ally, Jonny and Marlita explored how artists can help the church thrive in its relationship with the arts. This week they turn their attention to those of you who wouldn’t consider yourself to be artists. How can we best make space, not just for the arts, but for artists themselves in our churches?

If you’d like to join the conversation or to help us make more episodes like this, check out our website or email us at [email protected]

Resources mentioned in this episode:

The Visual commentary on Scripture — https://thevcs.org

The Human Library — https://humanlibrary.org

How can churches thrive in their relationship with the arts? How can they become communities where artists can thrive too? In this week’s episode, the FITA team explore ways in which artists can help churches towards this goal. And guess what - maybe it’s not just about  playing in the worship band!

If you’d like to join the conversation, please email us at [email protected]. If you’d like to help us continue to make more episodes like this, you can donate to us directly through our website.

Marlita, Ally and Jonny continue their survey of art from the Christian imagination in the last 100 years, crashing into questions like: Is the church vitamin deficient? Does God care about how  a film is lit? And why has almost every musical innovation in the last  half a century come from a particular section of the Christian church  (and why doesn’t anyone talk about this)?

If you’d like to join the conversation, please email us at [email protected]. We mention Patreon in this episode, and we've actually decided to go a different route for now - but if you’d like to help us continue to make more episodes like this, you can donate to us directly through our website.

Marlita, Ally and Jonny survey some of the art that has been fuelled directly by the Christian imagination in the last century. Is Christian art more about fuzzy felt and kitsch, or Kieslowski and Denzel? And what does that tell us about the church’s relationship to the arts?

If you’d like to join the conversation, please email us at [email protected]. We mention Patreon in this episode, and we've actually decided to go a different route for now - but if you’d like to help us continue to make more episodes like this, you can donate to us directly through our website.

The relationship between Christianity and the arts has always been one of extremes. For long periods of time and in different cultural settings, the two parties have got on fabulously: strengthening faith, promoting beauty, booming out an arresting prophetic voice and working for the common good. At other times… well, it’s been a bit of a car crash. Recently, there has been a growing feeling that it’s time to attend to this relationship again. Fix broken bridges. Re-examine sources of contention. Explore new ways to co-exist for the flourishing of all.

Faith in the Arts is a new podcast that wants to move this conversation forward. And this is our pilot! We're raising money on Kickstarter to record, produce and promote the first season.

In this first episode, we introduce the team: Marlita Hill, founder of the Kingdom Artist Initiative as well as a choreographer and author, residing in Southern California. Alastair Gordon, co-founder of Morphē Arts, painter and art tutor at Leith School of Art, Edinburgh. Jonny Mellor, co-founder of Sputnik Faith and Arts, hip-hop artist and church leader, living in Birmingham, UK.

Marlita, Alastair and Jonny discuss what they love about the arts, how their experiences of faith spaces affected them, and why there is still need for conversation and encouragement among artists who belong to the church: why there's still room for one more podcast.

If you enjoy the conversation, don't forget to support us on Donately!