A theological framework for the liturgical arts rooted in John Calvin

Both detractors and supporters of John Calvin have deemed him an enemy of the physical body, a pessimist toward creation, and a negative influence on the liturgical arts. But, says W. David O. Taylor, that only tells half of the story.

Taylor delves deeply into Calvin's work and shows that his theology of the material creation actually offers itself as a rich resource for the use of art in Christian worship. As he pursues the implications of Calvin's trinitarian theology, Taylor illuminates the larger landscape of Calvin's views and argues that his work opens up a way to understand the purposes of the liturgical arts.

Drawing on Calvin's Institutes, biblical commentaries, sermons, catechisms, treatises, and worship orders, this book represents one of the most thorough investigations available of John Calvin's theology of the physical creation-and the rich possibilities it opens up for the arts in worship.