Art and Faith

A Theology of Making

By: Makoto Fujimura, N.T. Wright - foreword

Narrated by: David Shih

From a world-renowned painter, an exploration of creativity's quintessential - and often overlooked - role in the spiritual life

Conceived over 30 years of painting and creating in his studio, this book is Makoto Fujimura's broad and deep exploration of creativity and the spiritual aspects of "making". What he does in the studio is theological work as much as it is aesthetic work. In between pouring precious, pulverized minerals onto handmade paper to create the prismatic, refractive surfaces of his art, he comes into the quiet space in the studio, in a discipline of awareness, waiting, prayer, and praise.

Ranging from the Bible to T. S. Eliot, and from Mark Rothko to Japanese Kintsugi technique, he shows how unless we are making something, we cannot know the depth of God's being and God's grace permeating our lives. This poignant and beautiful book offers the perspective of, in Christian Wiman's words, "an accidental theologian", one who comes to spiritual questions always through the prism of art.

©2020 Makoto Fujimura (P)2021 eChristian

This book changed my life

Thank you for writing this! I wept when I read it. As an artist and a christian I loved the why and for whom do we create question presented in chapt 2. The exploration of death and suffering through the lenses of sanctification was poignant as was your revelation on Mary’s extravagant gift to Christ. Loved this and want to read again! So many good nuggets of truth and beauty. Thank you

Thought provoking

It gave me much to think about as an artist…one made in God’s image.
Thanks

Beautiful and inspiring

I loved this unique book so much. Very grateful to have a Christian artists perspective on what it means and our calling to co-create.

Good read with challenging messages

This worth the time to listen carefully too. Strong biblically based challenge to contemporary Protestant theology.

Reads like a homily

Many scriptural references. Convicts the artist to create based upon his or her Christian beliefs.