Why devote any time to craft? If the information being communicated is all that matters, wouldn’t the quickest, cheapest, most direct form of communication be best? In this episode, Justus and Michael are joined again by Rusty Hein to discuss why good craft makes art hospitable and why that’s so important. Stay tuned at the end for “Testimony” by Warbler off of Sea of Glass.
Why does it seem like the same churches that dismiss the arts also tend to marginalize the material world and the other profound implications of the Incarnation? Is it possible the evangelical church has become overrun with Platonism and its rationalist offspring Gnosticism? Justus and Michael point to some signs of this growing problem and discuss how art can be part of the solution. Stay tuned at the end to listen to “Utah,” by Brock’s Folly, from The Great Commoner.
Most unbelievers will not go to church, so it seems pretty obvious that the church needs to go to unbelievers. But is this done only through street preaching, personal evangelism, and apologetics? In this episode, Justus and Michael explore what we can learn from the Court of the Gentiles and the parables of Jesus about how to introduce unbelievers to God. Stay tuned until the end to hear “People Change” from I Have Seen the End by Brock’s Folly.
Singer-songwriter Jesse Murray joins Michael and Justus to discuss his upcoming EP “Trail of Tears,” a collection of songs written concerning the historical and present relationship between Native Americans and the United States. Along the way, they discuss the idea of collective repentance—is it possible for children to repent of the sins of their forefathers? And what good can it do? Also, Jesse plays two tracks from the forthcoming album live—the title track “Trail of Tears” and “Snow Blindness.”
Never ones to back down from a challenge, your intrepid hosts Justus and Michael open up season 2 by tackling the age-old thorny question, “What is Art?” They are joined by Renew the Arts Creative Director Rusty Hein for this all-too-brief, but we hope productive, discussion. Stay tuned at the end for “Man Walked Out,” by Micah Stout from his record Without Reservations. A special thanks to Douglas and Siri Gregory for sponsoring this episode and to Ryan Lane for supplying us with the instrumental version of “Sounding Brass” for this season’s theme song.