On DARKNESS
Origin: On Darkness will explore the themes of suffering and evil. The very existence of these things calls into question the nature and reality of God. Does evil discount the idea of God as omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and perfectly good? Given the existence of evil, both moral (i.e., evil willfully caused by human beings: murder, adultery, rape, etc.) and natural (i.e., harm caused by impersonal forces of nature: earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, plague/disease, etc.) how can God, who is perfectly powerful and good, allow for the existence of evil? Furthermore, since evil exists and occurs regularly, how can God, powerful and good, exist in the way Holy Scripture reveals?
These questions are not new ones; they have plagued the human heart and mind as long as time itself. In this series, we will explore the problem of evil through the lens of the church father, St. Augustine of Hippo. In his thinking, evil was not substantial but a defect in being, or rather, a deficiency of good. For St. Augustine, God–who is a supreme power and is supremely good–could not allow anything evil to exist amongst his creation if he were not able to bring good even out of evil. So then, the question of evil and suffering calls us to contemplate the omnipotent and only-good God and what this means in our lives and experienced circumstances.
As in previous years, the series will explore the issue through two live events, a series-opening lecture and a closing session, along with a series companion reader. The series companion reader will consist of four sessions that will contain primary theological text along with poetry, visual art, Scripture, reflection, and practice.
For the opening of this year's ORIGIN series, Art House Dallas will welcome author and scholar Jessica Hooten Wilson for an evening conversation.
Opening Session Speaker
Jessica Hooten Wilson
Jessica Hooten Wilson (PhD Baylor University) is the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University. The author and editor of several books including The Scandal of Holiness and Reading for the Love of God, Dr. Wilson has received a handful of awards including book of the year in culture and the arts from Christianity Today, the Hiett Prize in Humanities and Culture, and the Emerging Public Intellectual Award from CCCU and other partners. She is a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum.
On Darkness
ORIGIN, both the speaker series and the reader, is made possible by generous donations from the community. Would you consider donating so we can continue to create quality spiritual formation resources for artists and creatives?
Pre-Order the Origin Reader: On Darkness
This anthology is the loving creation of a community of friends in hope of transformation and an ever-deepening faith. As with previous anthologies, each chapter includes an anchor text, poetry, visual art, and scripture, and prayerful reflection. We hope you will find the authors, poets, and artists to be wise guides and friends as you enter into a companioned journey of exploring suffering and evil through the door of imagination.
There is a suggested donation of $10 for the reader. This reader is intended to be used alongside the Art House Dallas Origin program, if you are unable to afford this reader and would still love to participate, please fill out this form and let us know your situation.
On Darkness will be mailed to participants. Pickup dates will be available in Dallas as well.
Join the Origin Content Team
Each year Art House Dallas staff and volunteers come together to choose a theme and curate content for the next year’s reader. If you are interested in being a part of that team, helping to curate theological texts, poetry, visual art, and prayer/scripture for next year’s reader, please fill out the form below.
ABOUT ORIGIN
Origin, an Art House Dallas program, seeks to establish a wholeness and connectedness between spiritual formation, imagination, and the arts with the ultimate intent to establish a sacred perspective on how we individually and collectively live and create. We believe that beauty shown through the arts, culture, and creation holds a powerful ability to form the way we see ourselves, the world, and our interaction with both. As embodied creatures made in the image of the Triune God we must consider the formation of our senses, our emotions, and our ideas. This same incarnate God calls us to be like him in our participation of cultivating goodness, truth, and beauty. There are few things more sacred in life than points of origin. The point from where thoughts, ideas, and perspectives begin holds potent ability to echo and endure through generations and shape how people and cultures both speak and act. How a person interacts with and thinks about the world is the essence of living and the result of a starting point.
