Where do the theologians fit in?
KM: There’s still a gap today between theologians — who seemed to start talking about art in the 1950s — and artists. There needs to be more theological attention to the arts. A few theologians come to mind, like Jaroslav Pelikan, whose Jesus Through the Centuries is a very helpful book. Margaret Miles, also, from Berkeley, who wrote Image As Insight. And William Dyrness, too, at Fuller. And John Peck is fantastic. He’s one of the co-founders of the Greenbelt Arts Festival. But a lot of people don’t know about John. That’s why he’s the least known theologian in the world. It’s hard to get him into the larger venues. He’s very self-effacing and doesn’t have a big school behind him. CS: Taking time with a painting is a key, isn’t it? Like taking time with a film or a book, if we’re going to see the art start opening up to us? Often we just blow by a piece, or turn our heads, or have some sort of emotional reaction and immediately move on. How can we take time with art? KM: There are ques
