Theology, Aesthetics, and Culture: Responses to the Work of David Brown

332 Pages·2012·1.77 MB·English

by  Robert MacSwain

THEOLOGY, AESTHETICS, AND CULTURE
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Theology,
Aesthetics, and
Culture
Responses to the Work of David Brown
Editedby
ROBERT MACSWAIN
and
TAYLOR WORLEY
1
3
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Acknowledgements
InSeptember2010theInstituteforTheology,Imagination,andtheArtsatthe
University of St Andrews hosted a three-day conference titled, ‘Theology,
Aesthetics, and Culture: Conversations with the Work of David Brown.’ In
additiontotwelveplenarypapersfocusedonBrown’swork,overthirtyshort
papers were delivered on a wide range of topics broadly related to theology,
art, and human culture. The two editors of this volume and primary organi-
zersofthisconferencearethusgratefultotheInstitute’sDirector,TrevorHart,
for agreeing to sponsor the event, and to Gavin Hopps, Dona McCullagh,
Elijah Wade Smith, and Jim Watkins for their essential contributions to its
success. Special thanks also go to Ian Bradley, Ann Loades, Francesca Aran
Murphy, Alan Torrance, the staff of St Mary’s College, the University’s
Conference and Events Team, and the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of
St Andrews, Louise Richardson. The editors also thank their respective in-
stitutions—the University of the South and Union University—for travel
grants that enabled them to attend the conference, and the University of the
Southforaresearchgranttopayforthecostofindexingthisvolume.
By design, in an attempt to cover at least the main themes and topics of
Brown’s five books under discussion, the twelve plenary papers delivered at
theconferencehavebeenaugmentedbysevenadditionalchapters(2,6,9,10,
13, 16, and 19). We are thus extremely grateful to all our contributors: those
who spoke at the conference, those who attended as session chairs and then
wrote chapters, and those who came on board after the event itself. Tom
PerridgeandhisstaffatOxfordUniversityPresshavebeenbothencouraging
andpatientasthebookhasdeveloped,andforthatwethankthem.Andweare
delighted and honoured that contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura gave us
permission to use one of his paintings as the cover image. But we are, of
course,mostdeeplyindebtedtoDavidBrown:notonlyforproducingsuchan
interestingandchallengingbodyofwork,butalsoforgraciouslyallowingitto
besubjectedtothisthoroughandsearchingexamination,andthenproviding
such a robustly stimulating response to his interlocutors. We hope that the
conversationbegunattheconferenceandextendedinthesepageswillcontin-
uetostimulateandchallengeforsometimetocome.
RobertMacSwain
TaylorWorley
November2011
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Contents
Contributors xi
ListofPlatesandPermissions xiii
Introduction
Theology,Aesthetics,andCulture 1
RobertMacSwain
TRADITION AND IMAGINATION:
REVELATION AND CHANGE
1. Scripture,Tradition,andRevelation:AnAppreciativeCritique
ofDavidBrown 13
WilliamJ.Abraham
2. Revelation,Christ,andFundamentalTheology:DavidBrown
andKarlRahnerinDialogue 29
RichardViladesau
3. TheResurrectionofBody:Re-imaginingHumanPersonhoodin
ChristianTradition 42
MargaretR.Miles
DISCIPLESHIP AND IMAGINATION:
CHRISTIAN TRADITION AND TRUTH
4. SaintsBeforeandAfterDeath 55
RichardBauckham
5. FromEthicstoEschatology:TheContinuingValidityofthe
NewEveforChristianDoctrineandDiscipleship 64
TinaBeattie
6. RevelationImagined:Fiction,Truth,andTransformation 79
DouglasHedley
GOD AND ENCHANTMENT OF PLACE:
RECLAIMING HUMAN EXPERIENCE
7. EnchantmentandTranscendence:DavidBrownonArtand
Architecture 91
GordonGraham
viii Contents
8. TranscendingPlaceandTime:AResponsetoDavidBrownon
Enchantment,Epistemology,andExperience 103
CharlesTaliaferro
9. Re-enchantingtheWorld:ThePossibilityofMaterially-Mediated
ReligiousExperience 115
MarkWynn
GOD AND GRACE OF BODY:
SACRAMENT IN ORDINARY
10. ‘IamtheDance’:TowardsanEarthedChristianity 131
KimererL.LaMothe
11. OpennessandSpecificity:AConversationwithDavidBrownon
TheologyandClassicalMusic 145
JeremyS.Begbie
12. InfiniteHospitalityandtheRedemptionofKitsch 157
GavinHopps
13. WereWeEverSecular?InterrogatingDavidBrownonGospel,
Blues,andPopMusic 169
JudithS.Casselberry
14. WhatifDavidBrownHadOwnedaTelevision? 184
CliveMarsh
15. AfterAscension:TheBodyofChrist,Kenosis,and
DivineImpassibility 197
GrahamWard
GOD AND MYSTERY IN WORDS:
EXPERIENCE THROUGH METAPHOR AND DRAMA
16. ‘Asensibilityfortheinfinite’:Metaphor,Symbol,Form,and
theSublime 213
DavidFuller
17. LectioDivina? 226
TrevorHart
18. TheDensityofDivineAddress:Liturgy,Drama,andHuman
Transformation 241
BenQuash
19. TheLiturgicalBodyandtheGiftofPresence 252
AnnLoadesandBridgetNichols
Contents ix
Response
Experience,Symbol,andRevelation:ContinuingtheConversation 265
DavidBrown
Postscript
OnTheology’s‘EkphrasticMode’ 297
TaylorWorley
Appendix:SelectedReviews 305
Index 307