Breath for the Bones: Art, Imagination and Spirit: A Reflection on Creativity and Faith

"The double question we must always ask is,'How does faith inform art?' and 'How can art animate faith?'" Imagination, appreciation of beauty, creativity: all of these qualities have been given to us by God. For the Christian artist, the drive to create something wonderful is also a means to glorify and better understand our Lord. Using excerpts from her own works as well as those of writers who have gone before her—Emily Dickinson, Annie Dillard, C.S. Lewis, and others—poet and writer Luci Shaw proves that symbolism and metaphor provide ways for humans to experience God in new and powerful ways. Shaw offers a rich and thought-provoking exploration of art, creativity, and faith. Believing that art emanates from God, she shows how imagination and spirituality "work in tandem, each feeding on and nourishing the other." Faith informs art and art enhances faith. They both, for each other, are "breath for the bones." Provocative, enlightening, and above all, inspiring, Breath for the Bones will help readers discover the artist within, and bring them further along the path to God Himself. Include s Discussion Questions and Writing Exercises "The double questionwe must always ask is, 'How does faith inform art''and 'How can art animate faith''" Imagination, appreciation of beauty, creativity: all of these qualities have beengiven to us by God. For the Christian artist, the drive to create somethingwonderful is also a means to glorify and better understand our Lord. Usingexcerpts from her own works as well as those of writers who have gone beforeher-Emily Dickinson, Annie Dillard, C.S. Lewis, and others-poet and writerLuci Shaw proves that symbolism and metaphor provide ways for humans toexperience God in new and powerful ways. Shaw offers a rich and thought-provoking exploration of art, creativity, andfaith. Believing that art emanates from God, she shows how imagination andspirituality "work in tandem, each feeding on and nourishing the other." Faithinforms art and art enhances faith. They both, for each other, are "breath forthe bones." Provocative, enlightening, and above all, inspiring, Breath for the Boneswillhelp readers discover the artist within, and bring them further along the pathto God Himself. Include s Discussion Questions andWriting Exercises In the tradition of Madeline L'Engle's Walking on Water and Dorothy Sayer's The Mind of the Maker , here is a rich and thought-provoking exploration of art, creativity, and faith. In this rich collection of thoughts on creativity and faith, Luci Shaw explores the intersection of the life of faith with the life of art. By helping the reader understand spiritual principles from looking at God's own creative life throughout Scripture and by providing the necessary tools for thinking Christianly about the arts, she challenges the artist in us all to ask how faith informs art, and how art can animate faith. Here is a fresh breath of encouragement to the imaginative mind.a clear guide to understanding both the theological framework of creativity and the call to be active participants in God's own creative life.