This book examines how the reformers' conceptual and theological frameworks pertaining to the role of the arts influenced the rise of realistic theater, lyric poetry, landscape painting, and architecture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
William A. Dyrness Books
William A. Dyrness is recognized for his profound exploration of theology and culture, with a particular focus on the intersection of theology and the visual arts. His work delves into the evolution of Protestant vision from the Reformation onward, examining its connection to artistic expression. Dyrness also contributes significantly to the study of non-Western theology, Christian apologetics, and global theological perspectives. His writings offer a rich tapestry of interfaith aesthetics and contemporary cultural engagement.
This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. In this book Dyrness explores the relationship between the biblical gospel and American culture. He shows how three dominant American cultural values -- pragmatism, optimism, and individualism -- have both a positive and negative impact on our Christian discipleship, looks at Walter Rauschenbusch and Robert Schuller as case studies, and sets out a distinctively American way of appropriating the gospel.
New expressions of church, including so-called insider movements, are proliferating among non-Christian religious communities worldwide. Drawing on the growing social-scientific work on emergent theory, Darren Duerksen and William Dyrness explore how all Christian movements have been and are engaged in a "reverse hermeneutic," where the gospel is read and interpreted through existing cultural and religious norms.
Oscar García-Johnson explores a new grammar for the study of theology and mission in global Christianity, especially in Latin America. Moving to recover important elements in ancestral traditions of the Americas, he discerns pneumatological continuity between the pre-Columbian and post-Columbian communities. With an interdisciplinary, narrative approach, this work offers a constructive theology of mission for the church in global contexts.
Reformed Theology and Visual Culture
The Protestant Imagination from Calvin to Edwards
- 356 pages
- 13 hours of reading
The book delves into the evolution of Reformed theology from sixteenth-century Geneva to Puritan New England, highlighting its impact on visual culture. While the tradition limited certain artistic expressions, it fostered new forms in popular culture and social structures. Through an examination of Calvin's theology, the author illustrates how this tradition cultivated an aesthetic characterized by simplicity, inwardness, and order, reflecting deeper theological beliefs.
The Facts on the Ground
- 224 pages
- 8 hours of reading
The book explores the complex role of Christian engagement in modern culture, addressing recent societal challenges through a biblical theology of cultural wisdom. William Dyrness examines wisdom from both the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing its relevance to human responsibility and God's intentions for creation, particularly as demonstrated in Christ's life and teachings. He argues that this Christ-centered wisdom not only offers new cultural possibilities but also reinterprets concepts of common grace and revelation throughout history, from the Early Church to the Reformation.