God Through the Looking Glass: Glimpses from the Arts

""The arts are all mirrors in which we try to glimpse reflections of the face of heaven."" That said, the Spencers, religion professors at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts, dive into a journey of the arts as a window through which Christians can see and know God. The contributors to this volume--including Celeste Snowber Schroeder, a dancer and writer; Bruce Whitney Herman, a painter; and Norman Jones, a theater professor at Gordon College--explore contemporary popular fiction, drama, music and painting as reflections of the relationship between humanity and God. The result is a dissection of art as a form of faith and ministry and as a gift from God. According to the authors, ""Each time we explore our creative side, we reflect something about the God who created us, about our fall from God's grace, sin and salvation, restoration and God's universal intention for us."" The book is embellished with numerous illustrations, and each chapter ends with exercises for further exploration. Despite the textbook style, the Spencers' writing will appeal to those interested in the intersection of faith and art. (Dec.)