Overview

"Nicholas Alexandrovich Berdyaev (1874-1948) was a Russian philosopher and activist who changed the philosophical, aesthetic and religious landscape of the 20th century. The author of more than 15 books and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times, he spoke in a new way about the centrality of creativity to what it means to be human. In 1922, along with other elite representatives of Russian culture, science and theology, Berdyaev was exiled from Russia by the Soviet authorities on the renown ""Philosophers' Ship."" For the rest of his life he lived in an expatriate who dreamed of returning to his homeland. In his seminal work, The Meaning of the Creative Act, which contains in raw form all of his dominant and formative ideas, he noted that ""the importance and the interesting aspect in humans is connected with the opening up in them of the path towards the Infinite and the Eternal, with the possibility of breaking through. Creativeness is a transition beyond the limits of this world."" Creativity Will Save the World presents the most evocative sections of The Meaning... along with excerpts from other Berdyaev books and articles in which he further elucidates his main theme that ""God calls us to creative activity and to a creative answer to God's love."" To those who aspire to the privileged and terrifying role of ""artist,"" and to the rest of us who simply desire to practice a more humane spirituality and a more spiritual humanism, this book is dedicated. Tom Willett (1950- ) is an American musician, entertainment industry executive, educator and author who has been involved in the creation and marketing of more than 300 award-winning record albums. His work has been cited in ""Billboard,"" ""Rolling Stone,"" the ""L.A. Times,"" ""Entertainment Weekly"" and Image Journal. He is the creator of Van Gogh to Go, a 3-volume series presenting van Gogh's most evocative quotes and paintings about art, work and spirituality, plus the online project, Into The Mystic. From the Editor ""Throughout my career as a musician, booking agent, artist manager, Artist & Repertoire executive, marketing VP, educator, and author I have felt compelled to attempt to fashion, for lack of a better term, a 'Rock and Roll Theological Aesthetic.' By that I do not mean a philosophy of religious art per se, but an exploration into how great art, even popular music, by its sheer originality and excellence, can transport the listener from the here-and-now to what seems another realm, another place, another way of being. To quote The Door's Jim Morrison, I marvel at how compelling expressions of creativity can help us 'break on through to the other side.' To that I would add the wisdom of Mssrs. Jagger and Richards, 'I know it's only Rock and Roll, but I like it.' ""For your consideration as 'Patron Saint of the New Spiritual Humanism, ' may I suggest Nicholas Berdyaev."""

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Reviews

Tom Willett is one among very few in America who have, consistently over time, worked to ferret out the best of esoteric art theories and motivations. More than art alone, Tom has done a deep dive into creativity and the role of the imagination in Christo-centric faith. Most importantly, he began life as a musician, a bass player. And like all great bass players, he knows how to lay a good foundation, deep and wide, trustworthy, able to hold the weight of dreams. Charlie Peacock Co-Founder, Art House America Founder, Commercial Music Program, Lipscomb University I highly recommend Tom Willett's new compendium of Nicholas Berdyaev. If you're unfamiliar with Berdyaev, here's your introduction. You may come to feel, as I do, that Berdyaev should be read alongside other great 20th century Christian thinkers like C. S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Reinhold Niebuhr. His work is of special interest to artists, but really, he invites all of us to live into the freedom of creativity. Brian D. McLaren Author The history of Mother Russia is replete with oppression, but it is her cultural creatives who have been willing to pay the price by standing up to and confronting that oppression. Many names come quickly to mind: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, even Bulgakov. But there is another, Nicholas Berdyaev, with whom it is imperative that we become acquainted. Tom Willett does us a service here, elevating this contrarian Christian philosopher in the public's awareness. All of us should read this work, for there is a God-given artist in each of us, aching to express itself prophetically. Dr. Richard Gathro International Arts & Education Traveler It is gratifying to know that, thanks to a terrific job by Tom Willett, those who find their life vocation in creativity and art will be introduced to the great Russian philosopher and prophet, Nicholas Berdyaev, and his insights into the burning anthropological issue of the centrality of the creative act to human life. (Sofia Androsenko) Berdyaev scholar, Moscow In this era of depersonalization we need to listen to prophetic voices that challenge and inspire us to renew our commitments to the utter beauty of the world and to humans' God-mirroring creativity. Thanks to Tom Willett's book, we can journey into the rich texts of Berdyaev, a prophet whose time has come. Quentin Schultze Professor of Communication Emeritus Calvin University

Tom Willett is one among very few in America who have, consistently over time, worked to ferret out the best of esoteric art theories and motivations. More than art alone, Tom has done a deep dive into creativity and the role of the imagination in Christo-centric faith. Most importantly, he began life as a musician, a bass player. And like all great bass players, he knows how to lay a good foundation, deep and wide, trustworthy, able to hold the weight of dreams. Charlie Peacock Co-Founder, Art House America Founder, Commercial Music Program, Lipscomb University I highly recommend Tom Willett's new compendium of Nicholas Berdyaev. If you're unfamiliar with Berdyaev, here's your introduction. You may come to feel, as I do, that Berdyaev should be read alongside other great 20th century Christian thinkers like C. S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Reinhold Niebuhr. His work is of special interest to artists, but really, he invites all of us to live into the freedom of creativity. Brian D. McLaren Author The history of Mother Russia is replete with oppression, but it is her cultural creatives who have been willing to pay the price by standing up to and confronting that oppression. Many names come quickly to mind: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, even Bulgakov. But there is another, Nicholas Berdyaev, with whom it is imperative that we become acquainted. Tom Willett does us a service here, elevating this contrarian Christian philosopher in the public's awareness. All of us should read this work, for there is a God-given artist in each of us, aching to express itself prophetically. Dr. Richard Gathro International Arts & Education Traveler It is gratifying to know that, thanks to a terrific job by Tom Willett, those who find their life vocation in creativity and art will be introduced to the great Russian philosopher and prophet, Nicholas Berdyaev, and his insights into the burning anthropological issue of the centrality of the creative act to human life. (Sofia Androsenko) Berdyaev scholar, Moscow In this era of depersonalization we need to listen to prophetic voices that challenge and inspire us to renew our commitments to the utter beauty of the world and to humans' God-mirroring creativity. Thanks to Tom Willett's book, we can journey into the rich texts of Berdyaev, a prophet whose time has come. Quentin Schultze Professor of Communication Emeritus Calvin University

"""Tom Willett is one among very few in America who have, consistently over time, worked to ferret out the best of esoteric art theories and motivations. More than art alone, Tom has done a deep dive into creativity and the role of the imagination in Christo-centric faith. Most importantly, he began life as a musician, a bass player. And like all great bass players, he knows how to lay a good foundation, deep and wide, trustworthy, able to hold the weight of dreams."" Charlie Peacock Co-Founder, Art House America Founder, Commercial Music Program, Lipscomb University ""I highly recommend Tom Willett's new compendium of Nicholas Berdyaev. If you're unfamiliar with Berdyaev, here's your introduction. You may come to feel, as I do, that Berdyaev should be read alongside other great 20th century Christian thinkers like C. S. Lewis, Jacques Ellul, and Reinhold Niebuhr. His work is of special interest to artists, but really, he invites all of us to live into the freedom of creativity."" Brian D. McLaren Author ""The history of Mother Russia is replete with oppression, but it is her cultural creatives who have been willing to pay the price by standing up to and confronting that oppression. Many names come quickly to mind: Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Pushkin, even Bulgakov. But there is another, Nicholas Berdyaev, with whom it is imperative that we become acquainted. Tom Willett does us a service here, elevating this contrarian Christian philosopher in the public's awareness. All of us should read this work, for there is a God-given artist in each of us, aching to express itself prophetically."" Dr. Richard Gathro International Arts & Education Traveler ""It is gratifying to know that, thanks to a terrific job by Tom Willett, those who find their life vocation in creativity and art will be introduced to the great Russian philosopher and prophet, Nicholas Berdyaev, and his insights into the burning anthropological issue of the centrality of the creative act to human life."" Софья Андросенко (Sofia Androsenko) Berdyaev scholar, Moscow ""In this era of depersonalization we need to listen to prophetic voices that challenge and inspire us to renew our commitments to the utter beauty of the world and to humans' God-mirroring creativity. Thanks to Tom Willett's book, we can journey into the rich texts of Berdyaev, a prophet whose time has come."" Quentin Schultze Professor of Communication Emeritus Calvin University"

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"Nicholas Alexandrovich Berdyaev (1874-1948) was a Russian philosopher and activist who changed the philosophical, aesthetic and religious landscape of the 20th century. The author of more than 15 books and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times, he spoke in a new way about the centrality of creativity to what it means to be human. Tom Willett (1950- ) is an American musician, entertainment industry executive, educator and author who has been involved in the creation and marketing of more than 300 award-winning record albums. His work has been cited in ""Billboard,"" ""Rolling Stone,"" the ""L.A. Times,"" ""Entertainment Weekly"" and Image Journal. He is the creator of Van Gogh to Go, a 3-volume series presenting van Gogh's most evocative quotes and paintings about art, work and spirituality, plus the online project, Into The Mystic. Fr. Stephen Janos is the preeminent translator of Berdyaev's works from Russian to English."

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