Join Gary and Alex on the Artistic Vision for this special end of 2024 compilation. At the end of each episode we give our guests the last word by asking, "what would you say to Artists who call themselves Christian?" Their words of wisdom are a treasure every week, and we've compiled them all into one episode! Listen in to these artist theologians.

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

On this episode of The Artistic Vision, we welcome Natalie Carnes, renowned constructive theologian and author, to explore the theological vision of beauty. Drawing on Gregory of Nyssa, she unpacks how divine beauty shapes Christian art and how the cross of Christ redefines our understanding of beauty and suffering. Perfect for Christian artists, theologians, and creatives seeking deeper insight into the intersection of faith and aesthetics. Discover how theology can inspire your artistic calling and transform your creative expression.

Natalie Carnes
Dr. Carnes trained at Harvard, University of Chicago, and Duke before coming to Baylor, where she is Professor of Theology in the Religion Department, Affiliate faculty member in Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Director of the Baylor Initiative in Christianity and the Arts. Among Professor Carnes’s scholarship are four books, including Beauty: A Theological Engagement with Gregory of Nyssa, Image and Presence: A Christological Reflection on Iconoclasm and Iconophilia, and Motherhood: A Confession. Her fourth and most recent book, Attunement: The Art and Politics of Feminist Theology reflects on the entanglement of aesthetics, politics, and theology to suggest a path forward by which feminist theology might transform Christian theological discourse.

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

Wes Vander Lugt graciously joins us on The Artistic Vision today. Full disclosure: this was the first interview we did, so you’ll see some real amateurs in action. We’re floundering; Dr. Vander Lugt is great. We talk about art, agriculture, his work at Gordon Conwell, and his new book, Beauty as Oxygen.

Wesley Vander Lugt
Wes currently works as the Acting Director of the Leighton Ford Center for Theology, the Arts, and Gospel Witness and Adjunct Professor of Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte. He is also the Co-Founder of Kinship Plot, a community of learning and practice imagining and embodying resonant relationships of every kind. Wes holds a PhD in Theology, Imagination, and the Arts from the University of St Andrews and enjoys writing and speaking on a variety of topics including beauty, spiritual formation and the arts, discipleship in the theodrama, slow faith, pastoral ministry, kinship, and creativity. His publications include Living Theodrama: Reimagining Theological Ethics (Routledge, 2014), Theatrical Theology: Explorations in Performing the Faith (Cascade, 2014), and Beauty is Oxygen: Finding a Faith that Breathes (Eerdmans, 2024).

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

In this episode of The Artistic Vision Podcast, Dr. Jessica Hooten-Wilson joins us to explore the intersection of art, creativity, and faith, with a special focus on Flannery O’Connor’s literary theory. For Christian artists seeking deeper understanding, Dr. Hooten-Wilson offers invaluable insights on how O'Connor's artistic vision can shape and inspire your creative journey. Whether you're an artist, writer, or anyone passionate about integrating faith with creativity, this conversation will provide practical wisdom and fresh perspectives on how Christian artists can approach their craft with intentionality.

Jessica Hooten Wilson is the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University. She is the author of several books, most recently Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress. Her book Giving the Devil his Due: Flannery O’Connor and The Brothers Karamazov received a 2018 Christianity Today book of the year in arts and culture award  and The Scandal of Holiness received a 2022 Award of Merit. Most recently, she completed the unfinished novel of Flannery O’Connor called Why Do the Heathens Rage.

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

Join us on The Artistic Vision Podcast as renowned contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura shares profound insights on his creative practice, the liturgy of art that influences his 'slow making. We explore how suffering shapes the artistic journey, and the way beauty, brokenness, and belief intersect in the life of an artist. Perfect for Christian creatives seeking encouragement, inspiration, and purpose in their work. Don’t miss this essential conversation on faith, resilience, and the redemptive power of art.

Makoto Fujimura is an artist, arts advocate, writer, and speaker, and the founder of the International Arts Movement. He is the author of many books, most recently Art and Faith: A Theology of Making (Yale University Press, 2021). Fujimura graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bucknell University, then studied in a traditional Japanese painting doctorate program at Tokyo University of the Arts. Fujimura’s art has been featured in galleries and museums around the world.

More about Mako: https://makotofujimura.com

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

Join The Artistic Vision as we welcome renowned theologian Hans Boersma to explore how Christian artists can cultivate a sacramental vision in today’s asymbolic age. Boersma unpacks the deep connection between art, theology, and the presence of God, urging artists to become instruments of grace through their work. Discover how a sacramental imagination transforms artistic practice, allowing creators to draw others into sacred encounter. This episode is essential for Christian creatives, faith-driven artists, and anyone seeking to reclaim beauty, meaning, and spiritual depth in art.

Hans Boersma
Dr. Boersma is a prolific and internationally noted theologian, came to Nashotah House in 2019. Prior to this, he taught at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada for fourteen years. Dr. Boersma also taught for six years at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, and served several years in the local church as a pastor. Along the way, Dr. Boersma has emerged as a leading voice among Protestant and evangelical theologians exploring and appropriating the riches of the Catholic tradition.

Dr. Boersma’s interests range across a variety of areas: patristic theology, twentieth-century Catholic thought, and spiritual interpretation of Scripture. In each of these areas, he sets out to retrieve the sacramental ontology of the pre-modern tradition. This retrieval (ressourcement) of the Great Tradition’s sacramental view of reality has been at the heart of his publications over the past fifteen years.

Dr. Boersma and his wife Linda have five children and thirteen grandchildren (and their Golden Retriever Penny deserves special mention). Dr. Boersma serves as a priest in the Anglican Church in North America.

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

In this powerful episode of The Artistic Vision, guest host Winfield Bevins joins Alex Sosler and Gary Ball for a post-Helene update. They explore the vital role of art in the midst of suffering and how grief can inspire profound creativity. This conversation dives deep into redemptive art, spiritual resilience, and beauty birthed from brokenness. Alex and Gary also announce a new initiative to support artists who lost their studios in the Helene storm. Don’t miss this moving dialogue on faith, art, and the healing power of creativity in times of crisis.

Give to the relief effort here: https://redeemerasheville.churchcenter.com/giving

Dr. Winfield Bevins is an internationally recognized author, artist, and leader. As a minister and an artist, he has been working at the intersection of art, faith, and the church for more than two decades. He is the founding director of Creo Arts, which is a non-profit that helps engage the world with beauty, goodness and truth through the arts.

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram: 
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

Join us on The Artistic Vision podcast as we delve into the theological significance of place with special guest Jennifer Allen Craft. In this insightful episode, we explore how the arts shape our environments and connect deeply with our Christian faith. Discover the power of creativity in transforming spaces and influencing culture. Whether you're a Christian artist or simply passionate about the intersection of faith and art, this conversation will inspire you to view your craft through a spiritual lens. Don't miss out on this enriching discussion about art, theology, and place!

Jennifer Allen Craft (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is associate professor of humanities and theology at Point University in West Point, Georgia, where she teaches courses in theology, philosophy, and the arts. 

Buy her book on Placemaking and the arts here: https://www.ivpress.com/placemaking-and-the-arts

(Dr. Craft also contributed to our book with a reflection on how artists can contribute to churches).

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

Today on The Artistic Vision podcast, we have Professor of Art History at Wheaton College, Matt Milliner. He shares his unique perspective on modern art. He reveals how he has grown to appreciate contemporary art, exploring his concept of "subverting the subversion." Matthew also delves into the often overlooked art of indigenous peoples and the significant yet neglected figure of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This thought-provoking conversation is perfect for Christian artists who are seeking to deepen their understanding of art, faith, and culture.

Dr. Milliner holds an M.A. & Ph.D. in art history from Princeton University, and an M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is a six-time appointee to the Curatorial Advisory Board of the United States Senate, and has written for publications ranging from The New York Times to First Things. He was awarded a Commonwealth fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, and is author most recently of The Everlasting People: G.K. Chesterton and the First Nations and Mother of the Lamb: The Story of a Global Icon.

Check out his website with links to his books here: https://www.millinerd.com/p/books.html

Also, be sure to subscribe to his newsletter at Comment Magazine called Material Mysticism here: https://comment.org/columns/material-mysticism/?hsCtaTracking=853c71f6-6902-4e7d-9b1a-9c3f925d8e1a%7C2a13daac-4090-4b1f-a16e-3aa6fe94d580

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community

In this episode of The Artistic Vision podcast, we sit down with David Taylor to explore the powerful intersection of the arts and the church. We dive into pastoring artists, the role of worship music in the church, embodiment in worship, and how the arts “work” in worship. Whether you're a Christian artist, worship leader, or passionate about faith and creativity, this conversation offers deep insights and encouragement. Don’t miss this inspiring discussion designed to equip and uplift artists in the church. Subscribe for more faith-based creative content!

W. David O. Taylor

David Taylor is a theologian, author, speaker, priest, and director of initiatives in art and faith. A professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. He has written for The Washington Post, Image Journal, Theology Today, Worship, Religion News Service, Christianity Today, and Books & Culture, among others. He lives in Austin with his wife Phaedra, a visual artist and gardener, and his daughter Blythe and son Sebastian.

Check out his website, including his books, here.

And for added bonus, here’s his interview with Bono.

Buy the Artistic Vision book here!
https://wipfandstock.com/9781666760132/the-artistic-vision/
https://www.amazon.com/Artistic-Vision-Cultivating-Sacramental-Imagination/dp/1666760137/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.gTOsrim0XMSOuyLOeIeqJHvXQlDWGE8BqOmNzY_TR90uoCegHsEhJBG77UwllpmqLDWKth27lBsmET7L6zvc7ICCVdmkwI33_NEQ_nhHaDv93pdCdMGQIktvJfX8bLqO7YjU6aVmNrGphfVU5ueCV0eG_qJJa9dRQBoebI1YbmZHOhyO178tlKdGbg4x2bjfLI0onx9-uhqzoCsc3lK_qwFOZDjVQwfqxeG4uzRbEpQ.yXgwTDxpCvj4B59DJmY1tcOwV7D8tMdtxas0EndXMCY&qid=1745002821&sr=8-1

Follow us on Instagram:
@theartisticvisionpodcast
@g_ball2
@alexsosler

Check out CREO Arts: https://www.creoarts.org
@creoarts.community