Transpositions: A Year in Review

In our last post of 2011, we want to celebrate what has been a great year for Transpositions.  Thank you, readers, for all the ways in which you have contributed to important discussions related to theology, imagination and the arts. Here are some of our highlights from this past year:

Symposia & Guest Contributors. This year, we hosted 11 symposia! We engaged in conversations around the genres of the Domestic and Commercial Arts as well as Fantasy and Children’s Literature. We considered the writing of John Carey and the legacies of Hans Rookmaaker and C.S. Lewis. We explored the ongoing contribution of the KJV, examined differing views on the Imagination, presented current practice in Arts Education, and argued for the importance of Art Appreciation. Not only that but we have welcomed guest contributions from over 60 individuals, including leading scholars and artists such as N.T. Wright, David Brown, Trevor Hart, Makoto Fujimura, E. John Walford, Sandra Bowden and Bruce Herman. We are grateful for all the guest contributors who have so generously given their time and energy in writing posts for Transpositions.

Award-winning. For a second year running, Transpositions was a finalist in the Christian New Media Awards. This year we took the runner-up prize in the ‘Best Christian Blog’ category.

Regular Contributors. Our team of regular contributors work hard to make Transpositions successful. Here are a few highlights from the usual suspects:

• As well as introducing us to a variety of Featured Artists throughout the year, Jim Watkins gave us a series of five posts that compared Divine and Artistic Creativity, culminating with an ethic for artistic creativity.
• In addition to tackling topics of cultural discernment and introducing us to the work of E.Nesbit, Anna M Blanch wrote a beautiful piece on the Art of Preserves, earning the honour of being ‘Freshly Pressed’ by WordPress.
• Sara Schumacher challenged us with the questions ‘Are we created for beautiful spaces?’ and ‘What would Jesus tweet?’, as well as explored the action of church arts patronage in a digital world.
• Jennifer Allen Craft kept us rooted by offering ideas about world-making, home-making, and the role of art in place-making. She also worked with Anna to present The Craft of Art.
• In July, we welcomed Cole Matson to our regular contributor team and we have enjoyed his perspective and his posts, ranging from Eucharistic theatre to C. S. Lewis, Dorothy L. Sayers to fantasy literature.
• At the end of this year, we are sad to say good-bye to former editor, Wesley Vander Lugt. Wes has played an instrumental role in getting Transpositions up and running while also regularly contributing thought-provoking posts on topics related to theological ethics as well as a series on the definition of art, co-authored with James McCullough.

Transpositions will be taking a break for the holiday season and will recommence posting on Monday, 16 January 2012. Next year brings all new symposia, some of which include Christian Kitsch, Art and Monasticism, and Art, Embodiment and the Digital. We look forward to continuing our discussions with you in 2012.

Until then, we hope you have a blessed Christmas season and a wonderful start to the new year.