Overview

"The declining religious participation among young adults, or """"Rise of the Nones,"""" has signaled alarms across American Christianity. A closer look into the faith lives of thirty young adults who are, or were at one time, connected with a church, however, shows an articulate and aesthetically embodied faith life that seeks out connection with others, expression of their identity, and an openness to encountering God. Young adults see themselves, and all people in this pluralistic world, as bearing the image of God. They see creativity, in their own lives and in the lives of others, as evidence of this identity. This book is not an appeal to put more art into congregations, but rather an invitation to attend to aesthetic, embodied ways of knowing that exist among all people."

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9781532684531

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Reviews

"""Douglass opens up new horizons for religious formation by demonstrating how creativity shapes young adult faith. In this crisply written book, Douglass explores how the arts help young adults explore and encounter God. For churches stymied over 'nones' and 'dones, ' this book is an eye-opening guide to ways in which imagination, mystery, bodies, and materiality unleash holy curiosity and create new possibilities for ministry with, by, and for young adults."" --Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Theological Seminary ""Some years ago I quoted a theologian who speculated that artists and musicians have become the true theologians of our time. Creative in the Image of God puts flesh on that speculation. With evidence from first-hand research as well as thorough grounding in theological literature, it makes a strong argument that the future of American Christianity rests on rediscovering the aesthetic and embodied dimensions of religious practice."" --Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University ""In Creative in the Image of God, Katherine Douglass offers a fresh approach to ministry with young adults and ignites imagination about the role art plays in a life of faith. Working with original research, Douglass uses young adult voices to describe how art connects them to God, others, and the past. . . . These stories ground the book and give it character, but the depth and breadth come from the way Douglass intersects her findings with theology and theory to create an aesthetic practical theology. . . . I encourage any congregation interested in reimagining ministry with young adults to read this book."" --Terri Martinson Elton, Luther Seminary"

Douglass opens up new horizons for religious formation by demonstrating how creativity shapes young adult faith. In this crisply written book, Douglass explores how the arts help young adults explore and encounter God. For churches stymied over 'nones' and 'dones, ' this book is an eye-opening guide to ways in which imagination, mystery, bodies, and materiality unleash holy curiosity and create new possibilities for ministry with, by, and for young adults. --Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Theological Seminary Some years ago I quoted a theologian who speculated that artists and musicians have become the true theologians of our time. Creative in the Image of God puts flesh on that speculation. With evidence from first-hand research as well as thorough grounding in theological literature, it makes a strong argument that the future of American Christianity rests on rediscovering the aesthetic and embodied dimensions of religious practice. --Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University In Creative in the Image of God, Katherine Douglass offers a fresh approach to ministry with young adults and ignites imagination about the role art plays in a life of faith. Working with original research, Douglass uses young adult voices to describe how art connects them to God, others, and the past. . . . These stories ground the book and give it character, but the depth and breadth come from the way Douglass intersects her findings with theology and theory to create an aesthetic practical theology. . . . I encourage any congregation interested in reimagining ministry with young adults to read this book. --Terri Martinson Elton, Luther Seminary

Author Information

Katherine M. Douglass is Assistant Professor of Educational Ministry and Practical Theology at Seattle Pacific University. She was the editor of and one of the contributing authors for Cultivating Teen Faith: Insights from the Confirmation Project (2018).

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