theology and the arts

ADVENTure TIME: Theology and the Arts Students Write Litany for the UCC Board of Pensions

This summer, Dr. Cindi Beth Johnson, Director of The Intersection, Wilson Yates Center for Theology and the Arts, was asked to work with a group of students in the Theology and the Arts concentration to write a litany for the United Church of Christ’s National Board of Pensions. The request was to gather a group of students to study the lectionary texts and write a liturgy that would be available to all of the churches of the UCC as part of a bulletin insert during the liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas. Here is an excerpt for the first week of advent: (more…)

“I am going to make what the spirit brings me:” Alumna Amoke Kubat on Art, Spirituality, and the Theology of Prince

 Yoruba priestess, community activist, and local artist, Amoke Kubat graduated from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 2017 with a Master’s of Arts & Leadership and a concentration in Black Church Leadership. I first met Amoke when I was a new student and she was a recent alumna. We grew to know each other better as the semester continued as she was auditing a class I was taking: Theological Interpretation of the Arts. (more…)

Interview with Dr. Ayo Yetunde on the Theology of Prince

"The Theology of Prince" is a project at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities headed by Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Assistant Professor of Pastural and Spiritual Care and Counseling and Director of Interfaith Chaplaincy. The project includes a call for essays, poetry, video, or visual art from the United Community in response to the theme. On September 27, 2017 I interviewed Dr. Yetunde about the project and her connection to Prince. (more…)

Panel on the Art of Jimmy Reagan Video

On October 9, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities hosted a panel about the artist Jimmy Reagan. Jimmy Reagan is internationally recognized as an Outsider Artist. Diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, he creates in a way that isn't impeded by the rules of mainstream art. Monday's panel included Jimmy's mother Peg Reagan, Associate Professor Emerita of Theology & the Arts at United Jann Cather Weaver, and artist Jeff Anderson. You can view the video of the whole panel below. The exhibit Conversations with Jimmy will be up at United until November 30, 2017. (more…)

When Storytelling Holds the World: Passover Reflections on Maggid.

A little over a week ago, I led a small seder on the second night of Pesach (Passover). The second seder can be hard to lead because the specialness and holiness of the first often turns into redundancy when the ritual is repeated on the second night. Planning the seder, I was concerned wit distinguishing it from the preceding night at my parents’ house. I was thinking about what we covered the previous seder and what, because of the larger group of people, we might have missed. (more…)