InterVarsity Press is pleased to announce the launch of a new series focusing on the intersection between faith and the humanities, Studies in Theology and the Arts (STA). The books in this series, the first of which releases this month and is entitled Modern Art and the Life of a Culture, seek to enable Christians to reflect more deeply upon the relationship between their faith and humanity's artistic and cultural expressions.

"I am excited to continue IVP's tradition of exploring the intersection of our faith in Christ and our artistic endeavors through this new series," says David McNutt, associate editor at IVP Academic and editor of the STA series. McNutt has a personal interest in theology and the arts, having studied the subject at St. Andrews and completed his doctoral work at Cambridge. "I look forward to seeing how these authors and books can contribute to the shaping of our theological imagination."

By drawing on the insights of both academic theologians and artistic practitioners, this series encourages thoughtful engagement with and critical discernment of the full variety of artistic media—including visual art, music, literature, film, theater, and more—which both embody and inform Christian thinking.

The advisory board for this series naturally consists of theologians and artists alike, including Makoto Fujimura, director of the Brehm Center at Fuller Theological Seminary and author of Silence and Beauty. He adds, "Studies in Theology and the Arts provides Christian scholars, artists, and church leaders with an opportunity to shape our theological perspective on the arts in light of the creative realities of our Maker God. These resources can help by extending the salvific narrative into broader creation and new creation narratives, enriching our grasp of the gospel, and revealing how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

Others on the advisory board include Jeremy Begbie, professor of theology and director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts at Duke Divinity School; Craig Detweiler, professor of communication at Pepperdine University; Matthew Milliner, assistant professor of art history at Wheaton College; Ben Quash, professor of Christianity and the arts at King's College London; Linda Stratford, professor of art history and history at Asbury University; W. David O. Taylor, assistant professor of theology and culture and the director of Brehm Texas at Fuller Theological Seminary; Gregory Wolfe, publisher and editor of Image; and Judith Wolfe,  senior lecturer in theology and the arts at the Institute for Theology, Imagination and the Arts at the University of St. Andrews.

Modern Art and the Life of a Culture: The Religious Impulses of Modernism by Jonathan A. Anderson and William A. Dyrness brings together the disciplines of art history and theology and points to the signs of life in modern art in order to help Christians navigate these difficult waters. Anderson, an artist, art critic, and associate professor of art at Biola University, and Dyrness, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, showcase the interdisciplinary nature of this series by merging their respective fields to contribute to broader cultural development.

"Studies in Theology and the Arts from IVP Academic promises to make an invaluable contribution to this field," says Gregory Wolfe. "It will not only provide a platform for the important work currently being done but also set a standard that will inspire new generations of scholars and critics."

The next volume in the series, Cameron J. Anderson's The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts, draws upon Anderson's experiences as both a Christian and a practicing artist, exploring the dynamics of faith and art. It releases in November 2016.

For more information about the Studies in Theology and the Arts series, please visit ivpress.us.