Intruding upon the Timeless: Meditations on Art, Faith, and Mystery

by Gregory Wolfe

Over the last two decades, a quiet revolution has been taking place in our culture. In both the church and the public square, people are turning away from partisan politics and shrill ideologies and looking for social and personal renewal through the imagination—and, more specifically, the imaginative space where religious faith and artistic vision meet. In short, they are seeking ways to reconnect beauty to goodness and truth.

One of the forces helping to spearhead this cultural revolution has been Image: A Journal of the Arts & Religion, the premier publication devoted to showcasing original creative work—fiction, poetry, visual art, music and more—by Christian and Jewish artists at work today. Image, which has received accolades from both the professional art world and the religious community, has published not only Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners but also a whole generation of emerging artists.

Intruding Upon the Timeless: Meditations on Art, Faith, and Mystery is a collection of Gregory Wolfe's editorial statements that preface each issue of Image. These short, evocative essays constitute a new Christian aesthetic for our time. Each of the meditations is like a polished gem: radiant, gracefully written, beautiful in itself, but also serving as a stimulus to further reflection. They remind us of the way that both faith and imagination reach beyond the limits of reason to intuit the mystery of redemption.

Genres: Christianity, Nonfiction, Art, Christian, Essays, Spirituality

176 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Gregory Wolfe is a writer, teacher, editor, and publisher. In 1989 he founded Image—one of America’s leading literary journals, which he edited for thirty years. He was also the founding director of the Seattle Pacific University MFA in Creative Writing program, which he led for over a dozen years. He is currently editor of an indie, non-profit literary press, Slant Books. Wolfe’s writing has appeared in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, First Things, Commonweal, and America. He has served as a judge for the National Book Awards. His books include Beauty Will Save the World, Intruding Upon the Timeless, and The Operation of Grace. He is married to the novelist Suzanne M. Wolfe. They are the parents of four grown children and live in Richmond Beach, Washington.

Reviews

[Laura]

Rich, beautiful, new ideas about art and faith abound in these short essays. I love that I can read a couple chapters at a time while nursing a baby or taking a quick break from the chaos of my kids. This book is feeding me and spurring me on to greater appreciation for art. If you have a dinner party, invite Gregory Wolfe. He has a generous spirit that sees seeds of faith in so many artists' work. A thoroughly memorable book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gregory Wolfe is the guy who publishes and edits Image journal out of Seattle Pacific University. Some of my favorite essays from the collection: Religious Humanism, Emerson vs. Hawthorne, Master Narrative, Transfiguration, and The Painter of Lite (and yes, the last one is unapologetic Kinkade bashing).

[Daniel Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I teach at least something from this book every semester. It's a seminal book in my life.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of short essays by Gregory Wolfe, former (and founding) editor of American Christian literary journal, Image. Historically, the book covers a time period (late eighties to early 2000s) when serious discussions about art, literature and theology were starting to fire up. The essays deal with such things as incarnation and the sacramental as they interweave with human creative practices. And actually, they serve as a very good primer on that world of thought and action.

All the pieces originally appeared as editorials in the journal so are of uniform length. At about five minutes' reading time per piece they are ideal for enlivening the mind during inbetween moments, such as when sitting on the bog. I mean no disrespect; if the whole of life is to be sacred, then quality reading material is a must!

Sorry, shouldn't have mentioned the bog. I've probably spoiled the tone of this review. But just to say, I recommend the book, I think it's very good. And also to say that one day I hope for, and look forward to, a similar volume from current Image editor, James K A Smith.

[Marcos Junior · Rating 4 out of 5]

O livro apresenta uma coleção de ensaios de Wolfe publicados em sua revista Imagine, dedicada a refletir sobre as relações da arte com a religião. Não se trata de arte religiosa, pois Wolfe se interessa pela arte que não está subordinada a uma visão religiosa e sim que dialoga com os problemas da transcendência e da condição humana.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of editorial essays from Image Journal possesses crystalline prose and a catholicity of purpose. Its care, caution, and concern is to create a vibrant and supportive reading and writing community--economy, ecosystem, and environment--for intruders upon the timeless. At the crux of art and belief, of literature and faith, is what Flannery O'Connor calls "mystery and manners." In sum, these are magnificent meditations for creative writers and culture difference makers! Write on, Gregory Wolfe!

Here are three links: the author's website, the Image Editor-in-Chief's webpage, and the SPU MFA Creative Writing Program Director's faculty page (Greg wears many hats):

http://www.gregorywolfe.com/

http://imagejournal.org/page/about/th...

http://spu.edu/prospects/grad/Academi...

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a set of brilliant essays on various topics, generally centered on the intersection of arts, culture, and faith. Wolfe has become, for me, one of the leading voices on literature and faith, a man whose both articulates so much better than me my own feelings and beliefs, but one who also extends my beliefs and challenges some of my own ignorance. As with any set of essays, some are better than others, but none are bad, and a few are absolutely enlightening.

[Josh Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good short essays on art and faith. They were all brief, and in some this detracted from the clarity, as there wasn't enough space given to flesh out his ideas. But the best essays initiated a conversation that I'm eager to continue.

[Rosie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays on Christianity and the arts from the editor of the top-notch literary and arts quarterly, Image Journal. Witty, erudite, and profound.

[Anamaria]

Wonderful meditions on art and culture from editor of Image journal. Highly recommended.

[Cris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting meditations on faith and art and the places they collide. A relief to read about art from an artists perspective instead of from a theologian's biased perpective....