S4 E43 | Dr. Emily H. Bruff | Painting The Unseen: How Visual Art Illuminates The Divine

The Alabaster Jar

In this conversation, Dr. Lynn Cohick interviews visual artist and Marketing Manager at Zondervan Academic, Dr. Emily H. Bruff, about the intersection of art and spirituality. She shares her personal journey as an artist and discusses the role of art in spiritual formation and worship. They also explore the biblical perspective on art and address concerns about idolatry. Dr. Bruff talks about her dissertation on the theological basis for art and shares insights from a retreat she organized that focused on visual art. She also offers practical advice for promoting visual art in churches and engaging with art as a form of spiritual formation.

Key Takeaways:

• Art can be a powerful tool for spiritual formation and worship, engaging both the heart and the mind.
• The biblical prohibition against graven images is about the posture of the heart, not a blanket condemnation of all visual art.
• Art can serve as a channel for expressing emotions and experiences that are difficult to put into words.
• Engaging with art in teaching, creating art, paying attention to the aesthetics of worship spaces, and listening to artists in the community are practical ways to promote visual art in churches.

Resources Mentioned:
Dr. Emily H. Bruff
Visio Divina Conference (Code: “Discount” For 20% Off Your Registration)
The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

Episode Sponsor:
The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology.