THEOLOGY, AESTHETICS, AND CULTURE: Responses to the Work of David Brown - Hardcover

This attractively produced volume is the outcome of a major conference ... This is an important book; it is relevent not only to exploring and appreciating central ideas in Brown's impressive oeuvre through the appreciative and critical lenses of fellow theologians, but also to the whole development of theology's dialogue with the arts into the future. (Gesa Thiessen, Art and Christianity)

[David Brown's] series stands as one of the most remarkable achievements of modern theology. Accordingly, Theology, Aesthetics, & Culture: Responses to the Work of David Brown deserves heed as an invaluable companion for anyone tackling Browns magisterial theological synthesis (Robert Covolo, Literature and Theology)

This is a book full of ideas. MacSwain and Worley have done a great tribute to Brown's work in their careful organization and editing, and have given a great gift to the rest of us in such a rich and provocative text that introduces and engages with his important work. (Anthony D. Baker, Anglican Theological Review)

The range of the essays in this volume is as broad as Brown's capacious vision, and in their own ways often as provocative and exciting. To read this book is an education in theology and the arts. We have much to be grateful for in this rich and provocative assessment of Brown's work―the beginning, one hopes, of a widespread exploration, appropriation, and development of his immense contribution (The Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, Sewanee Theological Review)

This is an important book; it is relevant not only to exploring and appreciating central ideas in Brown's impressive oeuvre through the appreciative and critical lenses of fellow theologians, but also the whole development of theology's dialogue with the arts into the future. (Gesa Thiessen, Art and Christianity)

many of the essays in this volume will not only open up Brown's oeuvre to non-theologians, but may also serve to re-set the agenda for sociological research as well as theological enquiry. (Graham Howes, Journal of Contemporary Religion)

This symposium reminds us of the many-faceted importance of David Brown's work. It should encourage those who do not know it to engage with it, and for those who already do to continue the conversation and take the exploration further. (Bishop Geoffrey Rowell,The International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church)

The quality of thought and scholarship throughout is impressive, and all essays engage a single set of works. This is not a hommage in the traditional sense, but the range, depth, and quality of the essays provided by 22 theologians and philosophers does honor to the scholar at the center of the conversation. (Alan G. Padgett, Theological Studies,)

For those interested in the thought of David Brown, theology of culture (or theology for culture) generally, Christianity and the arts, or religion, embodiment, and the incarnation, as well as the implications of these themes for philosophy of religion, this book is essential reading. MacSwain and Worley have put together a kind of conversation in print among some of the leading thinkers on Christianity and culture around some of the most important topics of the day at a time when the cultural relevance of the church is increasingly called into question. More than mere a primer on the work of David Brown, Theology, Aesthetics and Culture makes an original and important contribution to theology of culture in its own right and deserves the attention of anyone interested in how Church doctrine and Christian theology generally might meaningfully engage with the secular world of art and culture. (J. Sage Elwell, Faith and Philosophy)

David Brown is a widely-respected British theologian who initially made his mark in analytic discussions of Christian doctrine, such as the Trinity. However, with the publication of Tradition and Imagination: Revelation and Change (1999) his career entered a distinctly new phase, focused on theology, imagination, and the arts. Four related volumes followed, dealing with biblical interpretation, Christian discipleship, art and icons, place and space, the body, music, metaphor, drama, liturgy, the sacraments, religious experience, and popular culture. According to Brown, the fundamental thesis underlying all five volumes is that both natural and revealed theology are in crisis, and the only way out is to give proper attention to the cultural embeddedness of both.

Theology, Aesthetics, and Culture is the first attempt to assess the significance of this remarkable series, and its contributors include some of the most prominent philosophers, theologians, historians, biblical scholars, literary scholars, and cultural critics writing today. Aside from its exceptional interdisciplinary range and ecumenical line-up, a distinctive feature is sustained consideration of Browns analysis of popular culture. Given the stature of the contributors, this volume is not merely of interest as a commentary on Browns work, but also makes an important original contribution to our understandings of theology, aesthetics, and culture as they relate to the life of the Church, academy, and human society.