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Session Description
While both friend and foe of John Calvin have regarded him as an enemy of the physical body, a pessimist about the material creation, and a negative influence on the liturgical arts, that would tell only half the story—and be far from the more interesting story. This seminar explores ways in which Calvin, standing at the headwaters of the Reformed tradition, represents a rich resource for the arts in worship, even if not in the ways one might initially suppose. More specifically, Calvin’s theology of creation opens up a trinitarian grammar by which we might understand the theological purposes of music, painting, architecture, poetry, and other media of art in corporate worship.
Conference Title
2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship
Event Date
1-30-2020
Event Type
Lecture/Plenary
Type (recording/text)
Recording
Subject Area
Worship
Topic
Liturgical Arts
Keywords:
John Calvin, Liturgical Arts, Reformation
Recommended Citation
Pak, G. Sujin and Taylor, W. David O., "John Calvin, Creation, and the Liturgical Arts" (2020). Symposium on Worship Archive. 33.
https://digitalcommons.calvin.edu/uni-cicw-symposium/2020/allitems/33
John Calvin, Creation, and the Liturgical Arts
While both friend and foe of John Calvin have regarded him as an enemy of the physical body, a pessimist about the material creation, and a negative influence on the liturgical arts, that would tell only half the story—and be far from the more interesting story. This seminar explores ways in which Calvin, standing at the headwaters of the Reformed tradition, represents a rich resource for the arts in worship, even if not in the ways one might initially suppose. More specifically, Calvin’s theology of creation opens up a trinitarian grammar by which we might understand the theological purposes of music, painting, architecture, poetry, and other media of art in corporate worship.