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Good-bye, and thank you (see you at ArtandTheology.org)
I’m sad to remind you that, as I announced in November, I am discontinuing The Jesus Question—but I’m happy to let you know that my new blog, Art & Theology, is now live! Please show me some love...
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The Pensive Christ (Rupintojelis) of Lithuania
Before Rodin’s The Thinker, there was the Pensive Christ. Pensive Christ figurines by three contemporary Lithuanian artists: (from left to right) Tomas Ivanauskas (2001), Algirdas Juškevičius (2000),...
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Stories about Jesus Christ, illustrated by David Popiashvili
The Moscow-based Institute for Bible Translation (IBT) exists to translate, publish, and distribute the Bible in the 130-plus languages of the non-Slavic peoples living in the Commonwealth of...
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Dallas Willard talks gospel, grace, and spiritual discipline
Dallas Willard (1935–2013) was among the greatest Christian writers of the last century, in my estimation. He was known for his accessible teachings on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how...
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Maria von Trapp, plus seven artists, on Jesus the refugee
Many of you know Maria von Trapp as the singing nun-turned-governess in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Julie Andrews immortalized the character in the 1965 film adaptation. Though the...
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Adoration of the Magi bark painting from Papua New Guinea
The organization Wycliffe Bible Translators is committed to translating the Bible not only into all the world’s written languages but into its visual languages as well. In 2011 Wycliffe missionary...
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John O’Donohue reads his poem “The Nativity”
Renowned Irish poet John O’Donohue (1956–2008) wrote a poem on each of the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary, a set of meditations on key events in the life of Jesus. These are published, along with...
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Christmas isn’t over
Mosaic by David Hetland, Trinity Lutheran Church, Morehead, Minnesota. Excerpt from The Vigil: Keeping Watch in the Season of Christ’s Coming by Wendy M. Wright, pp. 116–17: The church does not abandon...
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More Nativity Paintings from around the World
Four years ago on Christmas Day I posted a selection of nativity paintings originating mainly in non-Western cultures. Each year since then that post has ranked as one of the five most-read posts on...
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Oh, What a Wonderful Child!
“Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child” is a Christmas gospel song, likely of African American origin (see Dean McIntyre’s hymn study for more information). It gained popularity in 1994, when Mariah Carey...
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The Two Genealogies of Jesus, the Curse of Jeconiah, and the Royal Line of David
Several passages in the Hebrew Bible (which Christians refer to as the Old Testament) prophesy that David’s throne will be established forever: 2 Samuel 7:12–16; Psalm 89:3–4, 132:11; Isaiah 16:5; and...
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Jesus as the Root/Shoot/Branch of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse—a representation of Jesus’s genealogy in the form of a tree—was a popular subject in medieval Christian art. Its name derives from the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 11:1 and 10: “There...
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A new song on the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes are a catalog of blessings that form the introductory portion of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Disappointed by the lack of musical adaptations of this important Gospel text, some...
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Instead of Santa, Christkindl
In many parts of Germany the secret delivery of gifts on Christmas Eve is attributed not to Santa Claus but to the Christkind (“Christ Child”)—or, in diminutive form, Christkindl. The idea that the...
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Roundup: Jazz Advent medley, whitewashed Jesuses spark lawsuit, Christ as...
Jazz Advent medley: The video below is taken from a 2012 Advent service at Citylife Presbyterian Church in Boston. It features a jazz arrangement of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” by Sam JC Lee (he’s the...
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The Christmas song that gets me every time
I am very rarely moved to tears by music. But “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” is one song that consistently evokes that reaction in me. The acclaimed American poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow...
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Nicholas Mynheer’s Glass Screen at Islip
In 2013 I wrote on Mynheer’s etched-glass screen of St. Nicholas and St. Edward the Confessor, which I had the privilege of seeing in situ. ArtWay has just published an adaptation of that article...
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Jesus home lighting devices (a little kitsch for your day)
Let Jesus light up your life with one of these nifty night-lights. So handsome. Way to go; Jesus gives you two thumbs up. Good Shepherd. His Sacred Heart burns passionately for you. Now allow me to...
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Roundup: Why I celebrate Advent; Advent songs for kids; the dark shadows of...
“Seven Reasons to Celebrate Advent” by Ryan Shelton: Many Protestant churches, including the one I grew up in, forego the celebration of Advent and other seasons of the church year, unconvinced of...
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