Overview

Beholding Beauty: Worshiping God through the Arts casts a vision for how the church can integrate a theology of beauty and aesthetics into its worship practices. Unlike other books that only explore beauty and aesthetic in the abstract, Beholding Beauty is a practical theology that inspires Christians to intentionally incorporate the arts into their everyday lives and their church's weekly worship services. It is specifically designed for pastors and worship leaders who wish to craft theologically coherent, aesthetically invigorating, and artistically stimulating worship services and for all Christians who desire to contemplate the nature of beauty and art from a biblical, theological, and liturgical perspective. Whether you are an accomplished artist or a novice to the art world, this book will deepen your understanding of God as the original artist who uniquely calls human beings to cocreate with him. It will challenge your presuppositions and convictions about the place of beauty and art in the Christian life and the life of the church. It encourages Christian artists to be even more creative and prolific, and it compels non-artists to consider the artistic gifts and talents God has given them.

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9781666722406

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Reviews

This book is like a church potluck dinner, but where everyone in the congregation is a chef. A group of pastors, with unusual insight and clarity, have each contributed reflections on beauty in everyday life. They show how setting a table, wearing clothes, or telling a good story can bring us closer to God. Congregational groups especially will find this book an ideal invitation to help them share with each other the beautiful moments of life. --Derek R. Nelson, Wabash College Beholding Beauty explores the powerful ways painting, poetry, music, and drama embody the creativity of the Original Artist, the triune God. The authors invoke our praying imagination to comprehend how culinary hospitality, fashion faithfulness, cinematic revelations, and storied truth serve as rich resources for worship. This uniquely collaborative effort draws on biblical wisdom and pastoral care to inspire the priesthood of all believers to grasp artistically how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. --Douglas D. Webster, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University While we often speak of the true, the good, and the beautiful forming the contours of the good life, beauty has all too often played second fiddle in our theological imagination, greatly impoverishing the rightful worship of God in our daily lives. Beholding Beauty is a timely, hands-on grace gift for all apprentices of Jesus who long to live a more joyful, integral, and seamless life. I highly recommend it. --Tom Nelson, President, Made to Flourish

This book is like a church potluck dinner, but where everyone in the congregation is a chef. A group of pastors, with unusual insight and clarity, have each contributed reflections on beauty in everyday life. They show how setting a table, wearing clothes, or telling a good story can bring us closer to God. Congregational groups especially will find this book an ideal invitation to help them share with each other the beautiful moments of life. --Derek R. Nelson, Wabash College Beholding Beauty explores the powerful ways painting, poetry, music, and drama embody the creativity of the Original Artist, the triune God. The authors invoke our praying imagination to comprehend how culinary hospitality, fashion faithfulness, cinematic revelations, and storied truth serve as rich resources for worship. This uniquely collaborative effort draws on biblical wisdom and pastoral care to inspire the priesthood of all believers to grasp artistically how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. --Douglas D. Webster, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University While we often speak of the true, the good, and the beautiful forming the contours of the good life, beauty has all too often played second fiddle in our theological imagination, greatly impoverishing the rightful worship of God in our daily lives. Beholding Beauty is a timely, hands-on grace gift for all apprentices of Jesus who long to live a more joyful, integral, and seamless life. I highly recommend it. --Tom Nelson, President, Made to Flourish

Author Information

Jason R. McConnell is the senior pastor of the East Franklin Union Church and Franklin United Church in Franklin, Vermont. He also serves as codirector of the Ockenga Fellows program and Mentor in the DMin program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He is the coeditor of Return to the Parish: The Pastor in the Public Square (2022).

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