To Set the World Aflame
How Artists Bear Witness to the Fullness of God's Creation
Will be published approx. on 13. October 2026
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-58743-680-2 (ISBN)
Description
Artists are more than creatives; they are stewards of truth, goodness, and beauty.
In To Set the World Aflame, W. David O. Taylor casts a sweeping vision for the vocation of artists. Drawing on three decades of work as a scholar, pastor, and global arts advocate, he shares how artists can shape the imaginations of others and serve the common good. With insights from Scripture, history, theology, aesthetics, missiology, and spiritual formation, Taylor explores how artists are called to be
? caretakers of the imagination, custodians of the emotions, and stewards of the senses;
? makers of life and meaning for the common good;
? wholly alive and wholly themselves; and
? witnesses to creation as the theater of God's glory and grace.
This inspiring resource shows artists how all that they make--from art installations and moving pictures to graphic novels, gourmet meals, and Gothic cathedrals--brings us into an intentional and intensive experience of the aesthetic aspect of our lives. Artists invest our lives with vibrancy and meaning in a way that enables us to enter into the fullness of God's creative and re-creative purposes for our world.
In To Set the World Aflame, W. David O. Taylor casts a sweeping vision for the vocation of artists. Drawing on three decades of work as a scholar, pastor, and global arts advocate, he shares how artists can shape the imaginations of others and serve the common good. With insights from Scripture, history, theology, aesthetics, missiology, and spiritual formation, Taylor explores how artists are called to be
? caretakers of the imagination, custodians of the emotions, and stewards of the senses;
? makers of life and meaning for the common good;
? wholly alive and wholly themselves; and
? witnesses to creation as the theater of God's glory and grace.
This inspiring resource shows artists how all that they make--from art installations and moving pictures to graphic novels, gourmet meals, and Gothic cathedrals--brings us into an intentional and intensive experience of the aesthetic aspect of our lives. Artists invest our lives with vibrancy and meaning in a way that enables us to enter into the fullness of God's creative and re-creative purposes for our world.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Ada, MI
United States
Publishing group
Baker Publishing Group
Product notice
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-58743-680-2 (9781587436802)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
W. David O. Taylor (ThD, Duke Divinity School) is associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. An Anglican priest, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa, and has written for The Washington Post, Religion News Service, Image Journal, and Christianity Today. His books include Open and Unafraid, A Body of Praise, Prayers for the Pilgrimage, and Glimpses of the New Creation. In 2016, Taylor produced a short film on the psalms with Bono and Eugene Peterson. He lives on twenty-one acres of land east of Austin, Texas, with his wife and children.
Content
Contents
Foreword by Sandra McCracken
In the Beginning: We Use Beloved
Vocational Perspectives
1. The Vocation of an Artist
2. A Babel of Opinions
3. The Discernment of an Artist's Calling
Aesthetic Perspectives
An Aesthetic Interlude: Albrecht Duerer--the Turning Point in Art History
4. The Meanings of Artists
5. The Meanings of Art
6. The Meanings of Artworks
Biblical Perspectives
A Biblical Interlude: Reading the Bible for All Its Artistic Worth
7. Psalter: A Biblical Model for a Community of Artists
8. Storytelling: A Biblical Model for the Work of Artists
9. Surplus: A Biblical Model for the Flourishing of Artistic Work
Theological Perspectives
A Theological Interlude: The God of Art
10. God the Father: Maker of Heaven and Earth
11. God the Son: The True Human
12. God the Spirit: Lord and Giver of Life
Formational Perspectives
A Formational Interlude: Art That is Wholly Fresh and Drinkable
13. The Habits of an Artist
14. The Disciplines of an Artist
15. The Virtues and Practices of an Artist
Missional Perspectives
A Missiological Interlude: Making Art When the World Is on Fire
16. The Missio Dei: The Mission of an Artist
17. The Missio Christi: The Artist as Prophet, Priest, and King
18. The Missio Spiritus: On the Art of Community
In the End: Art for Love's Sake
Appendix A: Six Prayers for Artists
Appendix B: A Liturgy for Beginning an Artistic Work
Appendix C: Recommended Readings
Foreword by Sandra McCracken
In the Beginning: We Use Beloved
Vocational Perspectives
1. The Vocation of an Artist
2. A Babel of Opinions
3. The Discernment of an Artist's Calling
Aesthetic Perspectives
An Aesthetic Interlude: Albrecht Duerer--the Turning Point in Art History
4. The Meanings of Artists
5. The Meanings of Art
6. The Meanings of Artworks
Biblical Perspectives
A Biblical Interlude: Reading the Bible for All Its Artistic Worth
7. Psalter: A Biblical Model for a Community of Artists
8. Storytelling: A Biblical Model for the Work of Artists
9. Surplus: A Biblical Model for the Flourishing of Artistic Work
Theological Perspectives
A Theological Interlude: The God of Art
10. God the Father: Maker of Heaven and Earth
11. God the Son: The True Human
12. God the Spirit: Lord and Giver of Life
Formational Perspectives
A Formational Interlude: Art That is Wholly Fresh and Drinkable
13. The Habits of an Artist
14. The Disciplines of an Artist
15. The Virtues and Practices of an Artist
Missional Perspectives
A Missiological Interlude: Making Art When the World Is on Fire
16. The Missio Dei: The Mission of an Artist
17. The Missio Christi: The Artist as Prophet, Priest, and King
18. The Missio Spiritus: On the Art of Community
In the End: Art for Love's Sake
Appendix A: Six Prayers for Artists
Appendix B: A Liturgy for Beginning an Artistic Work
Appendix C: Recommended Readings