TheoArtistry: collaborations with Sir James MacMillan and Michael Symmons Roberts

Abstract

Can the distance between the academic and the artist be overcome within the realm of theology? The TheoArtistry initiative within the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts answers with a resounding ‘yes’ in its two collaborative projects partnering artists and theologians. This article looks at the composers’ scheme and sacred music from a broad view, then gives particular focus to the poets’ scheme and a specific collaboration between the author and the poet Maria Apichella. The article concludes with theological reflections and practical considerations regarding this theologian–artist collaborative effort.