Beauty Through Faith Podcast

Kalos Arts
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Nurturing the voice of the Church through the arts. beautythroughfaith.substack.com

  1. 4d ago

    Dr. Junius Johnson on creation, imagination, and C.S. Lewis

    Summary Dr. Junius Johnson returns to Beauty Through Faith for a conversation on beauty, wonder, artistic creation, and what it means to become more fully who God created us to be. Beginning with a family visit to Alabama’s Natural Bridge, Junius reflects on the difference between simply recognizing natural beauty and encountering creation as a testimony to the glory of God. From there, the conversation explores the relationship between artist and material, humility in music and art, poetic form, and the ways creation can help give us our own voice. Junius also shares his lifelong love of C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia, including his developing theological reading of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The episode closes with a reflection on artistic comparison, vocation, and the freedom that comes from faithfully becoming the person God created each of us to be. Links Junius Johnson AcademicsExplore Junius’s courses in theology, literature, Narnia, King Arthur, beauty, imagination, wonder, and more.Explore Junius Johnson Academics academics.juniusjohnson.com The Father of Lights: A Theology of BeautyJunius’s work on beauty provides an important foundation for many of the ideas explored in this episode. His expanded Theology of Beauty course is scheduled to return in 2027.Explore The Father of Lights academics.juniusjohnson.com Field Guide to NarniaFor listeners interested in Junius’s work on C.S. Lewis, this self-paced resource explores Narnia’s geography, history, inhabitants, and imaginative world.Explore the Field Guide to Narnia academics.juniusjohnson.com HumanitasJunius also discusses his ongoing work on the Humanitas history series from Classical Academic Press, built around primary-source engagement with Western civilization. Explore Humanitas at Classical Academic Press Classical Academic Press Upcoming Theology CoursesJunius’s current schedule includes The Father of Lights: A Theology of Beauty in early 2027 and A Taste for Glory: A Theology of Wonder in the spring. academics.juniusjohnson.comView theology courses Note: the free Voyage of the Dawn Treader webinar discussed in the episode took place on October 15, 2026. Current courses and resources are available through Junius Johnson Academics. Takeaways * Beauty becomes richer when creation is recognized not only as beautiful in itself, but as revealing something of its Creator. * Human beings participate in creation rather than merely observing it; the world shapes us even as we shape it. * Artistic materials have their own character and limitations, and good art often requires humility before those materials rather than domination over them. * In music, the willingness to become part of a larger texture can be as important as the opportunity to stand out as a soloist. * Poetic form is not merely a restriction but can become part of the meaning and creative power of a work. * C.S. Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader can be read as a rich imaginative presentation of Christian spiritual realities, including transformation, baptism, longing, and worship. * Artists, poets, and theologians can help remind us of our human inheritance: to live fully into what God created us to be. * Artistic faithfulness is not measured by recognition or comparison. The task is to show up, do the best work available to us today, and allow that work to become what it is meant to be. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Dr. Junius Johnson on creation, imagination, and C.S. Lewis

  2. Sep 28

    Jacob Herold on Art, Hospitality, and The Anselm Society

    Summary Jacob Herold, Denver Coordinator for the Anselm Society, joins Beauty Through Faith to talk about vocation, jazz, hospitality, and the place of artists within the life of the Church. Drawing on his own journey as a jazz musician and Christian, Jacob reflects on learning to see artistic work not merely as permissible, but as a genuine calling under the kingship of Christ. The conversation also explores Christian witness in secular spaces, the role of hospitality in creative community, and Jacob’s work helping expand the Anselm Society’s presence in Denver. Colorado Kalos Salon Events The Anselm Society, Colorado Christian University, and the Kalos Arts Foundation have partnered to bring Echoes & Illuminations to the communities of Loveland and Denver, Colorado. Join us for an intimate salon style concert experience featuring original music by Gustav Hoyer alongside a custom lighting system that responds to the musicians in real time. As the music rises and falls, the light follows, inviting the audience to explore the space between sight and sound and discover what may be revealed through both. Loveland: Monday, October 5 7 PM at First United Presbyterian Church Denver : Tuesday, October 6 7 PM at Colorado Christian University School of Music Tickets start at $15. Seating is limited. Reserve your tickets here Links Anselm SocietyLearn more about the Anselm Society, its gatherings, guilds, events, and the growing Denver community. Jacob Herold — The Train in the RiverJacob’s recent project blends elements of Americana and folk music with jazz. Gift of JazzJacob also discusses his work helping produce concerts and events in the Denver area. Takeaways * Christ’s kingship extends to the arts, giving Christian artists freedom to pursue their work as a genuine vocation. * Vocation is more than a job; it is a calling rooted in the gifts and responsibilities God gives each person. * Christian artists can serve as witnesses in spaces where the Church may not always be visibly present. * Faithful presence in secular artistic communities requires humility, courage, and dependence on Christ rather than confidence in oneself. * Artistic work does not have to achieve fame, commercial success, or cultural prominence in order to be worthwhile. * Hospitality can itself become an artistic and Christian practice, creating spaces where people can gather, celebrate, create, and encourage one another. * The Church is strengthened when different gifts and callings are allowed to flourish rather than being forced into a narrow definition of ministry. * Jacob’s work with the Anselm Society reflects a desire to build communities where Christian artists can create, collaborate, feast, and pursue beauty together. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Jacob Herold on Art, Hospitality, and The Anselm Society

  3. Sep 23

    SPECIAL EPISODE: Dr. Paul Barnes on the 2026 American Liszt Society Festival

    Summary Pianist Dr. Paul Barnes returns to Beauty Through Faith for a conversation on beauty, transcendence, artistic vocation, and the upcoming American Liszt Society Festival, Toward Re-Enchantment: Beauty as a Portal to the Sacred. Paul reflects on the role beauty has played throughout his life and career, and on why music can offer a point of encounter with the sacred even for those who do not share the same faith. The conversation also explores Liszt’s spiritual life, the importance of approaching unfamiliar art with gratitude and openness, and Paul’s own transition toward mentorship, teaching, and passing a lifetime of musical experience on to younger artists. Links 2026 American Liszt Society Festival — Toward Re-Enchantment: Beauty as a Portal to the SacredThe festival at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln brings together performances, lectures, contemporary music, and scholarship centered on beauty and transcendence. Festival information Festival Program and Presenter BiosView the 2026 program Festival RegistrationRegistration remains available for full-festival and single-day attendance. Registration and visitor information Paul BarnesLearn more about Paul’s performances, recordings, collaborations, and current projects.Paul Barnes — Official WebsitePaul Barnes — YouTube Fr. Alexander Schmemann — For the Life of the WorldPaul and Benjamin discuss this influential work and its vision of receiving creation as gift and offering it back to God. For the Life of the World — St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press Paul Barnes — “Liszt and the Cross: Music as Sacrament in the B Minor Sonata”A resource from Paul exploring the spiritual and sacramental dimensions of Liszt’s music.Read Paul’s Liszt and the Cross handout Tom Larson — “The Gift”Paul discusses his love for Larson’s music and his desire to champion the work of a longtime colleague. Larson’s site includes Paul’s performance of The Gift, with video by Peter Barnes. Watch The Gift and explore Tom Larson’s music Takeaways * Beauty can become a point of encounter with the sacred and a starting place for conversations across different beliefs. * Gratitude changes the way we receive both art and the world around us. * Great art allows us to encounter reality through another person’s vision and experience. * Liszt’s spiritual convictions and generosity toward other artists were central to his musical life. * Unfamiliar music rewards patience, curiosity, and a willingness to listen beyond our immediate preferences. * Artistic vocation includes not only creating and performing, but teaching, mentoring, and passing a tradition to the next generation. * Paul’s current season reflects a growing emphasis on gratitude, family, teaching, and making room for younger musicians. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

  4. Sep 8

    Dr. Eliot Grasso on beauty, silence, and the challenge of AI

    Summary Dr. Eliot Grasso returns to Beauty Through Faith for a conversation on attention, silence, artistic practice, and human formation. Together, Eliot, Benjamin Harding, and Gustav Hoyer explore how beauty invites us to slow down, become more present, and resist a culture of distraction. The conversation also turns to Eliot’s current work in music and education, before closing with a thoughtful discussion on AI, human agency, and why true learning and creativity require practice, participation, and transformation. Links Gutenberg CollegeLearn more about Gutenberg College, its programs, conferences, and upcoming events. Soli Deo Gloria: The Life and Legacy of Johann Sebastian BachBy Greg Wilbur Eliot contributed the introduction to a new edition of this biography exploring Bach’s life, faith, and artistic vocation. Smithsonian Folkways / Archival Recording Takeaways * A life ordered toward beauty begins with attention — particularly the attention required to truly love another person. * Silence is not merely the absence of noise; it can create space for reflection, discomfort, curiosity, and transformation. * Encountering art is an active experience. Listeners are invited not merely to consume sound or images, but to notice, question, and attend. * Learning cannot be reduced to receiving information. Practice is formative because it changes the person doing it. * Good teaching creates space for students to wrestle with questions rather than simply repeat someone else’s conclusions. * Artistic creation is more than the production of an object. The process of making can itself be an act of love, obedience, discovery, and formation. * Eliot’s work in Irish traditional music, composition, teaching, and education reflects a common concern: helping people become more attentive, thoughtful, and fully human. * Artificial intelligence raises important questions about the difference between persons and tools, particularly when human language such as “thinking” or “creating” is applied to machines. * AI may function as a tool, but it cannot do the formative work of practice on behalf of a human person. * Christians are called not merely to acquire information, but to be transformed — becoming increasingly conformed to Christ through faithful participation in the life God has given them. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Dr. Eliot Grasso on beauty, silence, and the challenge of AI

  5. Jul 27

    Scott Cairns on Prayer, Poetry, and the Pursuit of Beauty

    Summary What role does beauty play in drawing us toward God? In this episode of Beauty Through Faith, Benjamin Harding welcomes acclaimed poet, essayist, and Orthodox Christian Dr. Scott Cairns for a rich conversation about poetry, prayer, suffering, and the pursuit of truth. Scott reflects on his journey from a Baptist upbringing into the Orthodox Church, the transformative beauty of the Divine Liturgy, and the profound influence of the Church Fathers, Dostoevsky, Annie Dillard, and Greek poetry. Together they explore why great poetry should open readers to wonder rather than certainty, how prayer and artistic practice shape one another, and why beauty is not merely decorative but a means of encountering God. Whether you’re a poet, musician, painter, or simply someone seeking a deeper spiritual life, this conversation offers timeless wisdom on cultivating attentiveness to truth, goodness, and beauty. Links & Resources Books by Scott Cairns * Against Certainty * Correspondence with My Greeks * The End of Suffering: Finding Purpose in Pain * Short Trip to the Edge: Where Earth Meets Heaven – A Pilgrimage to Mount Athos * Lacunae Referenced Resources * The Philokalia * The Jesus Prayer * The Trisagion Prayers * Mount Athos * Simonopetra Monastery * Eighth Day Books (Wichita, Kansas) Referenced Authors & Thinkers * Fyodor Dostoevsky * St. Isaac the Syrian * St. Athanasius * St. Gregory Palamas * Annie Dillard * Simone Weil * Constantine P. Cavafy * Frederica Mathewes-Green * St. Mary of Egypt Key Takeaways * Beauty is not an escape from reality—it is one of God’s primary ways of drawing us toward Himself. * Great poetry opens us to mystery rather than reducing truth to simple conclusions. * Prayer and artistic practice both require faithful daily discipline, even when inspiration is absent. * The Orthodox tradition emphasizes participation in the mystery of God rather than mastering Him through explanation. * Reading deeply is a conversation across generations, allowing us to enter into dialogue with writers who came before us. * Suffering, united with Christ, can become a means of transformation rather than despair. * Language is never exhausted; the richest words continue to reveal new depths each time we encounter them. * Christian artists are called not merely to illustrate ideas but to pursue truth, goodness, and beauty with humility. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Scott Cairns on Prayer, Poetry, and the Pursuit of Beauty

  6. Jul 13

    Joffre Swait on Poetry, Language, and the Gifts That Shape the Soul

    Summary In this episode of Beauty Through Faith, Gustav Hoyer welcomes poet, educator, and editor Joffre Swait back to the podcast to discuss two of his newest books: Word Horde: An Anthology of Poems Every Christian Should Know and We Bring Pomegranates, his first full-length collection of original poetry. Their conversation explores why poetry matters for Christians, how language itself reflects God’s creative order, and why reading poems aloud transforms the way we encounter beauty. Joffre shares the philosophy behind curating an anthology centered on truth, goodness, and beauty, reflects on the role of English as a uniquely poetic language, and reads one of his own poems, I Can See the Cascades From Here. Together they consider poetry not as something to consume quickly, but as a lifelong companion that forms the imagination and deepens our love for God. Links & Resources Joffre Swait * Joffre Swait on Substack * Word Horde: An Anthology of Poems Every Christian Should Know * We Bring Pomegranates * Roman Roads Press Referenced Authors & Thinkers * C.S. Lewis * Gerard Manley Hopkins * John Milton * Percy Bysshe Shelley * Samuel Taylor Coleridge * Alfred, Lord Tennyson * Thomas Traherne * Edward Taylor Key Takeaways * Poetry is meant to be experienced with both the mind and the body by reading it aloud. * Great poetry offers gifts rather than merely displaying artistic skill. * Christians can approach poetry as a means of spiritual formation and delight, not simply academic study. * Language itself reflects God’s creativity, and learning to love language can deepen our appreciation for beauty. * An anthology should have a clear point of view rather than pretending to be completely objective. * The best poetry continues to shape us long after we’ve finished reading it. * Original poetry can become an act of hospitality, inviting readers to see the world with renewed wonder. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Joffre Swait on Poetry, Language, and the Gifts That Shape the Soul

  7. Jun 16

    Winfield Bevins on How Beauty Will Save the World

    Summary In this episode of Beauty Through Faith, Gustav sits down with author, artist, and founder of Creo Arts, Winfield Bevins, to explore the profound connection between beauty, faith, and creative work. Winfield shares how art and beauty played a central role in his own journey to faith, becoming a means of grace during a difficult season of his youth. From his early encounters with painting to a life-changing moment by a lake in East Tennessee, Winfield reflects on how beauty awakened longing, pointed him toward God, and shaped his vocation as an artist, pastor, writer, and advocate for Christian engagement with the arts. The conversation also explores Winfield’s book, How Beauty Will Save the World: Recovering the Power of the Arts for the Christian Life, and the mission of Creo Arts to inspire beauty, goodness, and truth by connecting artists, patrons, churches, and communities. Together, Gustav and Winfield discuss why the arts matter for spiritual formation, why Christians are called not only to create but to behold, and how the church might recover its historic role as a patron and steward of beauty. Key Themes * How beauty and art shaped Winfield’s journey to Christian faith * The role of creation, longing, and transcendence in spiritual awakening * Why human creativity is not competition with God’s creation, but participation in it * The meaning of co-creation and Tolkien’s idea of “subcreation” * Why beholding beauty is a spiritual practice * How the arts help Christians slow down, listen, and become more fully present * Winfield’s book How Beauty Will Save the World * The mission and work of Creo Arts * Why churches should recover their role as patrons of the arts * The hope for a new Christian renaissance rooted in beauty, goodness, and truth * Winfield’s own work as a painter and printmaker * The importance of encountering art in person, not only digitally Featured Guest Winfield Bevins is an author, artist, teacher, and founder of Creo Arts, an organization dedicated to inspiring beauty, goodness, and truth by forming communities where art and faith flourish. His work encourages artists, churches, and patrons to recover the power of the arts for Christian life and cultural renewal. Links * Creo Arts * How Beauty Will Save the World: Recovering the Power of the Arts for the Christian Life by Winfield Bevins * Winfield Bevins’ artwork and writing * Father of Lights by Junius Johnson Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Winfield Bevins on How Beauty Will Save the World

  8. May 29

    Special Salon Preview: Why Live Beauty Matters

    Summary In this special preview episode of Beauty Through Faith, Gustav Hoyer is joined by members of the Kalos Arts Ensemble ahead of their upcoming salon concert at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Souderton, Pennsylvania. Together, they explore what makes chamber music unique, why live artistic experiences matter in an increasingly digital world, and how the pursuit of beauty points us toward deeper truths about God and ourselves. The ensemble reflects on the intimate nature of chamber music, the role of beauty in the Christian life, and the special lighting design that will accompany the performance. Whether you’re a lifelong classical music enthusiast or attending your first concert, this conversation offers a glimpse into the heart behind the salon experience and an invitation to participate in a living, breathing encounter with beauty. Event Information Souvenirs & Passions Saturday, May 30, 20267:00 PMSt. Peter’s Anglican Church Featuring: * Original chamber music by Gustav Hoyer * An immersive synchronized lighting experience * Intimate salon-style performance * Conversation, fellowship, and reflection on beauty and faith Tickets Here. Key Takeaways * Chamber music invites listeners into a conversation rather than a spectacle. * Live artistic experiences offer a uniquely human connection that cannot be replicated digitally. * Beauty, truth, and goodness ultimately find their source in God. * Music unfolds through memory, inviting listeners to actively participate in the experience. * Every performance is unique, shaped by the musicians, audience, and moment. * The salon format creates space for deeper engagement with both art and community. Beauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe

    Special Salon Preview: Why Live Beauty Matters
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