Friday, September 5, 2025, 7:30 PM

Recovering Humanity through the Arts

The early Christian theologian St. Irenaeus wrote: “The glory of God is a human being fully alive.”  What might this mean? Is a human only a thinking thing, or a vital, breathing microcosm of beauty?

Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts and the Veritas Forum present “Fully Alive: Recovering Humanity through the Arts”—an evening that asks what role the arts might play in the divine purpose of re-making humanity. Featuring singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken, former archbishop Rowan Williams, and contemporary novelist Chigozie Obioma, the program will open up some of the ways different art forms can serve to foster “life in all its fullness.” Original music by McCracken will accompany a dialogue on theology, anthropology, and the arts between Rowan Williams and Chigozie Obioma, both of whom have explored the theme of human flourishing extensively in their own work. Williams and Obioma both served as judges for the Booker Prize in 2021 and will draw on their experience as public thinkers in the literary world. Come and join us and learn more about what it might mean to become more fully alive as we engage the arts afresh. This event is the Friday evening keynote for the conference; tickets are included in registration fees.