A Peculiar Orthodoxy: Reflections on Theology and the Arts

World-renowned theologian Jeremy Begbie has been at the forefront of teaching and writing on theology and the arts for more than twenty years. Amid current debates and discussions on the topic, Begbie emphasizes the role of a biblically grounded creedal orthodoxy as he shows how Christian theology and the arts can enrich each other. He explains the importance of critically examining key terms, concepts, and thought patterns commonly employed in theology-arts discourse today, arguing that notions such as "beauty" and "sacrament" are too often adopted uncritically without due attention given to how an orientation to the Triune God's self-disclosure in Christ might lead us to reshape and invest these notions with fresh content. Throughout A Peculiar Orthodoxy, Begbie demonstrates the power of classic trinitarian faith to bring illumination, surprise, and delight whenever it engages with the arts.

• Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Created Beauty: The Witness of J. S. Bach
• 2. Beauty, Sentimentality, and the Arts
• 3. Faithful Feelings: Music and Emotion in Worship
• 4. Openness and Specificity: A Conversation with David Brown on Theology and Classical Music
• 5. Confidence and Anxiety in Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius
• 6. The Holy Spirit at Work in the Arts: Learning from George Herbert
• 7. Natural Theology and Music
• 8. Room of One's Own? Music, Space, and Freedom
• 9. The Future of Theology amid the Arts: Some Reformed Reflections
• Index