by Sandy Yang
On Friday April 14, 2023, faculty panelists assembled in the DMC Recital Hall for a presentation titled “To Teach and Delight: Christian Discipleship through the Arts and Humanities.” The event, part of Cedarville’s annual Scholars’ Symposium, was well attended by interested students and faculty.
The panel opened by referencing the often-cited “crisis” in the arts and humanities in American higher education. In this context, the panelists argued that, for Christian believers, engaging the arts and humanities can be an act of stewardship, even of worship. The study of the arts and humanities need not be separated artificially from other endeavors, including STEM studies or physical labor; the arts and the sciences, manual and intellectual labor—all these are complementary facets of work that reflects God’s glory. Professor Kirsten Setzkorn, Cedarville’s humanities librarian, then presented a historical overview of the arts and humanities at Cedarville, demonstrating that these disciplines have been long been a valued element of Cedarville life.
In the next segment, panelists addressed the role of the arts and humanities in Christian discipleship, from their perspectives across various programs including Visual Arts, Theatre, English Literature, Linguistics, History and Government, Communication, and Music and Worship. Finally, Prof. Setzkorn unveiled Cedarville’s new Arts and Humanities website featuring Cedarville’s objectives for the teaching of the arts and humanities, an active blog, a calendar of Cedarville’s on-campus arts and humanities events, and a video overviewing the value of Cedarville’s liberal arts core which includes its humanities offerings.
The hour ended with the opportunity for audience questions, and a number of students responded. Students asked for additional visibility for events such as student recitals, and for closer collaboration with faculty on arts & humanities topics. Several made suggestions for more arts engagement on campus, for instance through a Thursday Night Live talk, or a write-up on the sculptures across Cedarville’s campus. The students’ response affirmed that the arts and humanities continue to play a vital role in Cedarville’s mission.
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