ELLIOT LAYDA

 For our very first January event, the society for critical imagination will be hosting chicago based artist, Elliot Layda.  We will be gathering at 8pm this saturday january 5th for Layda’s presentation, which upon ending will be followed by discussion of the attached essay. Please check out http://elliotlayda.com/site/ for more info on Layda’s work.     get it while its HOT - evilomnipotence.pdf 

Merry Christmas!

We hope the Christmas season has arrived with great joy for you and your families.

If you are looking for some last minute presents, here are a few recent EP’s for FREE DOWNLOAD. Enjoy!

The A Big Beard Christmas EP is a collection of holiday favorites and new tunes from artists like Matthew Perryman Jones, The Liberty Bell, and others…

The Winter Wishes album, which includes Jamie Barnes…

Jamie Barnes’ Paper Crane EP (enter site and click ‘releases’)…

Okkervil River’s holiday collection of covers Golden Opportunities Mixtape…

Andrew Osenga’s collaborative effort with fans and friends Letters to the Editor, vol. 1…

Happy Christmas!

(image courtesy of BadatSports; see more fun Santa images here)

SCI “FIELD TRIP” TO LOUISVILLE FOSTERS RENEWED COMMUNITY, FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON THEOLOGY AND THE ARTS

At 6 AM on an icy Saturday morning, December 1^st, a dozen members of the Society for Critical Imagination, Union’s club for engaging theology and the arts, gathered into two borrowed minivans to set out on a weekend trip to Louisville, Kentucky. Professor Taylor Worley, the self-proclaimed “cruise director” of the voyage, organized the trip in conjunction with Mr. Jonathan Paul Gillette to include a full schedule of meaningful interaction with both the church community and the art/music community of Louisville. Much of the weekend was spent at a place where a unique intersection of these two worlds is breaking new ground in the conversation of theological aesthetics.

Sojourn Community Church, being intentionally “in the city, for the city,” is a distinctive presence in the area, being both a church where followers of Christ gather to worship and a space where the arts thrive. The church has a gallery space which has been used to show art of various mediums by artists local and national, Christian and otherwise. The building where the Sojourn community gathers also contains the “Listening Room” where significant musical acts have performed such as Over the Rhine, My Brightest Diamond, and critically-acclaimed Swedish folk singer Jose Gonzalez, who played a memorable show the evening we visited the church.

Members of the Society had the opportunity to meet with Michael Winters and Kevin Janes, the curator of the art gallery and the director of the Listening Room, respectively. The conversation included an insightful discussion of issues ranging from the theoretical role of aesthetics in theology to the implications of securing relationships with both the art community of Louisville and the community of the faithful within the church body – and, perhaps most significantly, seeing how these two worlds can meet in a way that is conducive to the flourishing of the arts for the sake of the beauty of God, and grounded in Christ for the sake of the gospel.

The group also enjoyed an extensive tour of the facilities of the church, which were strikingly impressive not because of any particularly extravagant or technologically advanced amenities, but because of the clear passion for visual beauty which had organically produced a physical space which is simple, functional, and appealing to the eye. The transformation of what was once a rundown elementary school building into a beautiful space for worship and creativity bears a powerful witness to the redemptive purpose of God’s people in the world. Following the tour, the group participated in a discussion of the current work in the art gallery, “The New Sudan,” a project which demonstrates the church’s firm commitment to social justice through the power of the arts. The highlight of the evening was, of course, the meditative vocals and immaculate guitar of Jose Gonzalez, who played a charming collection of songs to a packed out room of church members and local folks from the community alike.

The following morning, the Society for Critical Imagination worshipped at Sojourn, celebrating together the first Sunday of Advent, and partaking of the sacrament in a worship service that was both reverent and joyful. After lunch and discussion with noted professor of theological aesthetics, Dr. Steve Halla of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the group loaded up in the minivans and, not without many adventures and much mischief along the way, arrived safely back home in Jackson with a new depth of community among the group and a fresh perspective on what it means to follow Christ and engage the arts through a critical imagination.

(Thanks, photos, video and review by Matt Elia!)

The Last Hurrah!

Come listen to Radiohead’s new album ‘In Rainbows’. Its one last session of critical conversation and dialogue before the Christmas break. 7pm @ 91 Greencastle… spread the Christmas cheer!

p.s. There’s still free CD’s in JEN 301!

Free Stuff!

This past weekend some of us we able to travel to Louisville, KY and visit with the community at Sojourn Community Church and the staff of the 930 art and music space. (Stay tuned for more reflection on the trip.) Obviously, we wish more people could have made the trip, and we hope to take other field trips like that one in the future. Since only a limited number of students could go, we would like to offer a gift on behalf of Sojourn to you; they are so generous!

For the first ten students that come by Mr. Worley’s office (JEN 301), you will receive a free Sojourn CD. Hurry, while they last!!

Take a moment to check out their Worship Arts Ministry since both the teaching pastor Daniel Montgomery and the worship arts pastor Mike Cosper will be here on campus in February for Union’s conference on worship: ‘How Should We Worship?’

Check out more of their music here: www.sojournmusic.com

Stay tuned for more on the trip.

Episode 7: The Unbelievable Prophecies of David Bazan

SCI: Episode 7

Episode 6: Ignorance is Bliss

Listen to Alan Knox share his talk “Ignorance is Bliss” and enjoy the amazing new intro!

SCI: Episode 6

Joe Garner - ‘The Unbelievable Prophecies of David Bazan’ 11.27.07

The weekly meeting for the Society for Critical Imagination resumes this evening with local songsmith Joe Garner guiding us through the prophetic and poignant music of indie rocker David Bazan. For those of you familiar with Pedro the Lion or Bazan’s solo work, this evening will be an exploration into the depths and complexities of attempting to find a voice in contemporary songwriting that in some way resembles the prophetic imagination of a Hosea, Joel or Amos. In other words, what is the strength of a Christian vision for song craft? It promises to be an exciting night!

Visit Bazan’s site for a link to a free recent live show available for download.

Also, here’s a little taste of what’s to come…

Thanksgiving break…

Because of Thanksgiving, there is no meeting tonight for the society. If, however, you lack for some critical stimulation this week, please make us of the following links to audio downloads.

Jerry Saltz’ lecture for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago: “Deep Content: How Art Means, and Means, and Means”

Dave Hickey’s keynote address from the 2007 Frieze Art Fair in London: “Custodians of Culture - Schoolyard Art: Playing Fair Without the Referee”

The audio book for Jonathan Edwards’ Religious Affections

Tate Modern, London: Tate Shots Podcast Archive

Darrin Patrick’s Francis A. Schaeffer Lectures at Covenant Seminary on Emerging Churches

Paste Magazine’s Culture Club Podcast

Tim Keller’s three messages on the gospel from the Evangelists Conference 2007: Smashing False Idols

Bob Edwards interviews Jeff Tweedy for XM Radio

Enjoy!!!

Paste Magazine: Pay-What-You-Want Subscription

Paste Magazing has an amazing pay-what-you-want deal for a whole year of subcription. What is Past Magazine? Here is Kyle Hopper to tell us more. Kyle:

“If you have not heard of it, well now you have! It is a pretty good resource for music, movies, art, and culture. It was started by a few guys that were in the business of trading old Vigilantes of Love shows and cd’s. People started asking them to suggest other great artists. Soon they decide to start a magazine where good music and other things could be discussed. It has really grown into quite a magazine. One of the really cool features is that with every issue you also get a cd, and sometime a DVD, that highlights good music. Now this is not one of those mixes like you get from Lifeway. You know the ones I am talking about! “Buy any CD from these artists and get this Sampler CD for a penny!” A lot of the artists on the PASTE CD are actually pretty good.”

Thanks Kyle.

Check it out.

Also, “Ignorance is Bliss” podcast to come out soon with the cool new intro. Stay tuned!