Professors Tessa Davidson (painter and professor of art) and Mac Sandlin (theologian and ethicist) explore the concept of Beauty and its relation to God and the good life. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder or does it shine forth through the world we behold? Is artistry an idol, a distraction from God or a window through which God revels himself? Though we interact with several academic fields, the podcast is aimed at a popular audience. Our hope is that these conversations open listeners’ eyes to Beauty and to God as the source and end of all that is good, true, and beautiful.
Our First Word: Theology of Beauty
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Podcast Overview
Professors Tessa Davidson (painter and professor of art) and Mac Sandlin (theologian and ethicist) explore the concept of Beauty and its relation to God and the good life. Is beauty in the eye of the beholder or does it shine forth through the world we behold? Is artistry an idol, a distraction from God or a window through which God revels himself? Though we interact with several academic fields, the podcast is aimed at a popular audience. Our hope is that these conversations open listeners’ eyes to Beauty and to God as the source and end of all that is good, true, and beautiful.
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Publishing Since
1/20/2026
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Recent Episodes
February 10, 2026
Beauty as Our First Word: The Apologetics of Wonder
<p><strong>Can Beauty bring someone to faith? </strong> In this episode, Mac and Tessa explore the intersection of apologetics (the defense of the faith) and aesthetics. While 20th-century apologetics often relied on cold logic and propositional proofs, the hosts echo Hans Urs von Balthasar and argue that beauty should be “our first word." </p><p>From Mac’s vivid dream of golden eagles to the intricate poetic symmetry of the Hebrew Bible, they discuss why a beautiful life is more persuasive than a winning argument and why the arts are the essential tutor for communicating the profound truths of God.</p><p><br /></p><p>Timestamps:</p><p><strong>(01:30) </strong>Apologetics 101: Why the defense of the faith often leaves Beauty out of the equation.</p><p><strong>(04:15) </strong>Mac’s story of the golden eagles and the power of a "profession of hope."</p><p><strong>(08:30)</strong> Why the dignity of the viewer requires "invitation" rather than "prescription."</p><p><strong>(10:45) </strong>Sharing the gift of natural beauty as a form of witness.</p><p><strong>(13:45)</strong> Balthasar and Mozart: How a love for music revolutionized 20th-century theology.</p><p><strong>(17:15) </strong>The Shape of the Story: How the narrative of Scripture mimics the structure of beauty.</p><p><strong>(20:50) </strong>Why the Bible’s literary devices are essential to its message, not just "ornamentation."</p><p><strong>(24:00) </strong>Beauty as the most effective apologetic for a post-modern world.</p>
February 9, 2026
The Beauty That Claims Us: Hope, Witness, and the Infinite Beam
<p><strong>Is Beauty a "beautiful lie" we tell ourselves to survive, or is it a direct call from God?</strong> In this episode, artist Tessa Davidson takes the lead to explore the active power of Beauty in a broken world. Moving beyond abstract definitions, she and Mac Sandlin discuss how beauty functions as a lifeline, a witness, and a pointer. By mashing up the "anti-philosophy" of Nietzsche with the survival stories of Viktor Frankl, they uncover why humanity turns to art even in its darkest hours.</p><p>Whether through a 2,000-year-old Greek sculpture, a rose window in Notre Dame, or a live concert, Beauty serves as a witness to the "Beautiful One," inviting us not just to observe the light, but to follow it all the way to its source.Timestamps:</p><p><strong>(01:10) </strong>Recapping the Trinity and the "distance" of beauty.</p><p><strong>(03:00)</strong> Tessa’s three-fold response: Hope, witness, and invitation.</p><p><strong>(05:40)</strong> Nietzsche’s "Beautiful Illusion": Beauty as the great anesthetic.</p><p><strong>(09:30) </strong>If God is dead, must we become gods to create beauty?</p><p><strong>(12:50)</strong> Viktor Frankl & Auschwitz: Why prisoners traded their only food for poetry and theater.</p><p><strong>(16:20) </strong>Reflections on Life is Beautiful and The Shawshank Redemption.</p><p><strong>(19:05) </strong>Paul Claudel’s Conversion: How a rose window in Notre Dame defeated atheism without an argument.</p><p><strong>(21:40) </strong>The Aesthetic Arrest: The movement from being stopped to being sent.</p><p><strong>(23:10) </strong>Rilke’s Torso of Apollo: A poem that looks back at you.</p><p><strong>(25:50)</strong> C.S. Lewis’s Toolshed: Looking at the beam vs. looking along the beam.</p><p>(<strong>27:40)</strong> Finding the "spiritual" in a mosh pit.</p><p><strong>(31:50) </strong>The Weight of Glory: Why making idols of beautiful things breaks the worshiper's heart.</p><p><strong>(34:30)</strong> The Final Invitation: Beauty as a beckoning to union and embrace.</p>
February 8, 2026
The Wounded Beauty of the Cross
<p><strong>Is the cross beautiful? </strong> In this episode, Mac and Tessa confront the ultimate paradox of Christian aesthetics: the Crucifixion. Using the ancient Anglo-Saxon poem The Dream of the Rood as a jumping-off point, they explore how an instrument of state-sponsored torture became the most beautiful image in the world. They navigate the tension between the victory beam of the Resurrection and the raw, stomach-turning reality of the suffering servant. From the gruesome wounds of the Isenheim Altarpiece to the “dirty” beauty of public bathroom stalls, the hosts argue that true beauty doesn't gloss over the hard things—it enters them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Timestamps:</p><p><strong>(01:00) </strong>The Dream of the Rood: The talking cross that is both bloody and bejeweled.</p><p><strong>(03:15) </strong>Why the cross is the starting point for Christian aesthetics.</p><p><strong>(04:30) </strong>Why saying the cross is beautiful is a radical, stomach-turning claim.</p><p><strong>(09:00) </strong>Why we treat the cross differently than any other execution device.</p><p><strong>(10:45)</strong> Contrast between Mark’s suffering servant and John’s "lifted up" King.</p><p><strong>(14:15) </strong>How the "most horrific" image of Christ became a source of beauty for the sick.</p><p><strong>(20:10)</strong> Poetry on the wounds of Christ as celestial jewels.</p><p><strong>(22:00) </strong>"The wound is the place where the light shines through."</p><p><strong>(24:30)</strong> The problem with "kitschy" and decorative crosses.</p><p><strong>(25:15) </strong>When the cross becomes "just another decoration."</p><p><strong>(27:30)</strong> Dealing with the accusation that Christian art is "too beautiful" to be true.</p><p><strong>(30:00)</strong> Thirty Bathrooms: Finding God in the stalls where we feel most alone.</p><p><strong>(33:00) </strong>Why the church needs thousands of different depictions of the cross to tell the whole story.</p><p><strong>(34:00) </strong>Every Tribe and Tongue: Why we need infinite, nuanced ways to present the story of the Cross.</p><p><br /></p><p><strong>Click this link check out Tessa's </strong><strong>Thirty Bathrooms</strong><strong> project:</strong></p><p>https://tessadavidsonartist.com/thirty-bathrooms/ </p>
15 total episodes available
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