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CONVERSATION GROUPS

Artful Response to Scriptures
Jude Morrissey, Access Services Librarian, Yale University Divinity School  
Karl Stutzman, Director of Library Services, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical 
Seminary

ABSTR AC T: Art has long been part of sacred texts in many religious 
faiths, notably as decorative, stylized, and illuminated calligraphy. How 
scripture was presented aesthetically carried sacred significance. In 
modern times, it is common to leave artistic expression of scripture 
to either paid professionals or children—but writing, illustrating, or 
artistically responding to scripture can be a devotional practice avail-
able to anyone. This paper discusses ways to recover creatively engag-
ing with sacred texts as inspiration and medium, provides examples 
of creative spiritual engagement in practice, and discusses ways to 
engage students through related active and passive programming. 
Session attendees were given time and supplies for the practice of 
creative spiritual engagement and to share their experience of it. The 
session was accessible to a variety of religious traditions by allowing 
participants to choose their own sacred text with which to work. 

INTRODUCTION 

Sacred texts throughout time have often been made beautiful. Across 
faith traditions, it seems there was a recognized spiritual signifi-
cance to presenting scriptures artistically. Recently, there has been 
a renewed interest in making creative expression part of engage-
ment with faith for everyone. Such practices can benefit students 
at our institutions, particularly those participating in spiritually 
challenging activities, like nursing clinicals or pastoral internships. 



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Contemplative creative expression can be an excellent addition to 
library programming, both active and passive, meeting a real need 
for student communities and acting as a form of student outreach 
that grows on activities that are already common in library spaces. 

Karl Stutzman, Director of Library Services, Anabaptist Mennonite 
Biblical Seminary
My inspiration for this session came from a Biblical Spiritual-
ity course I took several years ago at our seminary. One of the 
spiritual practices we learned was a form of artful response to 
Scripture. In my journey since then toward greater mental health, 
engagement with art and faith has been really important. I think 
that we as librarians have an important role in our institutions—
we have a vocation to teach students to research, read, and write 
effectively, and part of this means engaging with texts in creative 
ways. I also have a strong interest in interfaith engagement. This 
has been an important aspect of Atla for me, and I’m interested 
in finding ways for us all to engage our diverse spiritualities 
together in this community. I hope that these practices of artful 
response to scripture provide a way that we can build a strong 
multifaith community.

Jude Morrissey, Access Services Librarian, Yale University Divinity School
In my own spiritual life, as a person with ADHD, I have found 
faithful creative expression to be powerful. Having something to 
do with my hands always helps me to concentrate; but making 
something related to the Scripture I am studying or the practice 
in which I am engaging deepens the experience and often leads 
me to new insights or a feeling of greater connection. I have used 
book art, photography, creative writing, and automatic drawing in 
my own devotional practices. I also create Anglican prayer beads 
while I pray, most of which I set out for students to take during 
midterms and finals or give to students beginning clinical pasto-
ral education placements. As passive programming in the past, 
I have put together kits with instructions for making Anglican 
prayer beads and am currently planning a workshop for book art 
as spiritual practice. 



Conversation Groups    109

SACRED TEXT AND ART

In many medieval Christian manuscripts, such as books of hours, the 
first letter of a prayer, Scripture, or other text was decorated with 
illustrations meant to suggest stories that would, with the help of 
their captions, be illuminated by the text itself. The historiated capital 
for Psalm 120 in the de Brailes Book of Hours (see figure 1) shows 
the Virgin Mary punching the devil in the nose—an illustration from 
the legend of Theophilus, whose soul is saved from damnation by 
Mary’s intervention (Donovan 1991, 40). While reciting the Psalm, 
the reader is meant to consider the story presented in the artwork 
and draw spiritual insight or guidance from the experience. 

Figure 1: Historiated capital of Psalm 120, Terce of the Virgin, from the de Brailes 
Book of Hours, ca. 1240 CE British Library Add MS 49999



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In several faith traditions, the art of the text matters, as with the 
historiated capital. The lettering is not entirely decorative, but its 
beauty is important. For Christianity, as one of the “religions of the 
word,” like Judaism and Islam, writing itself is often considered to 
be invested with spiritual force and thus becomes Scripture. Just as 
the Word becomes visible in Christ Incarnate, the text of Scripture 
written down participates both in the spiritual realm and the physical. 
Decorative or illuminated text can be transformed and transformative, 
the visualized word not just communicating meaning but creating 
space for meditation and contemplation (Hamburger 2014, 6–8). 

In Islam, too, writing is understood to be a way of manifesting 
the word of the Qur’an—and so calligraphy has risen to be the high-
est art, because it makes visible the message of the invisible God 
(Rahman 2004, 31). Often, Islamic calligraphy is highly decorative, 
in the formation of the letters themselves (see figure 2) or by mak-
ing geometric, zoomorphic, or other shapes with writing (Schimmel 
2004, 17). 

For Judaism, studying the Torah is vital for spiritual development, 
but the call to study comes with a second call to write the words. 
In mystical Jewish traditions, it isn’t just the content of the text that 
carries meaning—the shapes of the letters have holy meanings 
(Pludwinski 2012, 4). 

In many Eastern religions, writing is considered a gift from the 
gods (Stevens 1981, xi). In Hinduism, copying the alphabet becomes 
an act of worship, and each letter is an object of contemplation 
(Stevens 1981, 18). With all the spiritual meaning inherent in creative 
engagement in the written word, it may not be surprising that we 
tend to leave scriptural art to specially trained or professional art-
ists, although we let children play with the words a bit, in Sunday 
school and the like. 



Conversation Groups    111

 
Figure 2: Folio from a Qur’an manuscript, ca. 1180 CE, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 
29.160.23



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MODERN DEVOTIONAL MOVEMENTS

Recently, however, there have been movements in multiple faith 
traditions to encourage everyone to engage in art as spiritual prac-
tice. Carmelle Beaugelin Caldwell, founder of BeauFolio Studio, leads 
workshops combining the Christian practice of lectio divina with 
guided sacred art-making: creatio divina (https://beaufoliostudio.com/
creatiodivina). The process of CreatioDivina consists of five steps, 
labeled The Breath, The Invitation, The Creation, The Examination, 
and The Ask.

Rabbi Adina Allen brought together the Open Studio Process 
(an art therapy practice) with the Jewish practice of beit midrash 
to create the Jewish Studio Process, which is taught through the 
Jewish Studio Project as a practice to build spiritual connection 
and enact social transformation (https://www.jewishstudioproject.
org/the-jewish-studio-process). The Jewish Studio Process follows 
the steps of Inquiry, Intention, Creative Exploration, and Reflection.

The Sacred Art Academy offers courses and workshops that teach 
Islam through art, including calligraphy (https://www.sacredartacad-
emy.com/). Jayni Roxton-Wiggill, the owner and operator of Aura.
Soul.Art who practices a form of Jungian spirituality, offers SoulFull 
Art workshops to lead participants to connect with their authentic 
selves for a fuller emotional and spiritual life (https://www.aurasou-
lart.com/art-full). This process includes Thematic Discussion/Guided 
Meditation, Breathing, a Labyrinth Walk, and Spontaneous Painting.

These are just a few examples of attempts to encourage spiritual 
formation through creative faith engagement. There are also com-
munities of support formed around those who see their artwork 
as sacred practice (see figure 3), such as Numen Arts, a collective 
of polytheist artists who see their work as sacred practice (https://
numenarts.org/about.html). 

https://beaufoliostudio.com/creatiodivina
https://beaufoliostudio.com/creatiodivina
https://www.jewishstudioproject.org/the-jewish-studio-process
https://www.jewishstudioproject.org/the-jewish-studio-process
https://www.sacredartacademy.com/
https://www.sacredartacademy.com/
https://www.aurasoulart.com/art-full
https://www.aurasoulart.com/art-full
https://numenarts.org/about.html
https://numenarts.org/about.html


Conversation Groups    113

Figure 3: “Nehebkau,” by Megan Zane, a Kemetic Orthodox priest and member of 
Numen Arts

In these and similar movements, the process differs; but there 
are some things they have in common. For traditions that have 
scriptures, reading and reflecting on the words of the text or, espe-
cially in Islam, the names of God, are often central to the process. In 
Buddhism, chanting mantras is, too. For traditions that do not have 
scriptures, thematic discussion or guided meditation may be used 
instead. Sometimes it is the emptying of thought, as in the Christian 
practice of centering prayer, that forms the bridge between the 
spiritual and the artistic to create a new practice. Usually, making art 
or other creative expression is followed by a time of shared reflec-
tion: communication with God, nature, or others is important to the 
practice. Shared reflections are not necessarily time-bound, either, 
but exist within the work itself. Ahmed Ramadan who moved from 
Egypt to the United States and joined Yale University Library as a 



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cataloging assistant in 2001 and who writes holy words as a spiri-
tual practice (see figure 4) believes Arabic calligraphy is the pillar 
of Islamic art, communicating thoughts and meanings through its 
artistry across all ages. 

Figure 4: Examples of Arabic calligraphy by Ahmed Ramadan



Conversation Groups    115

“CREATIO DIVINA” AND STUDENT OUTREACH

Libraries, particularly those connected to religious and theological 
institutions, are well-placed to bring the concept of spiritual engage-
ment through creative expression, and some of the practices guiding 
such engagement, to their communities. Many academic libraries 
already participate in active or passive mental health and stress 
relief programming, particularly during midterms and finals. Several 
even put out art supplies already. Making art is good for mental and 
emotional health, especially during times of high stress; but making 
art is also good for spiritual health—particularly for “creative repair,” 
a term coined by Anne C. Holmes to refer to “regular, active engage-
ment with the creative arts as a way of repairing energy expended 
in sensitive pastoral care” (Holmes 2023, 6). For seminary students 
involved in clinical pastoral education placements or internships, 
the practice they learn in the library could be the spiritual engage-
ment that both serves an immediate need and provides long-term 
self-care in future ministry. For similar reasons, the same idea 
ought to hold true for religious folks studying nursing, social work, 
psychology, and any number of other fields where they are liable 
to face spiritual crises on a regular basis. 

At schools where spiritual formation is a goal alongside aca-
demic formation, teaching students to engage their faith through 
art gives them an outlet to process their challenged and changing 
beliefs outside academic structures like formal papers—something 
that lets them feel as well as think about their living, evolving faith, 
something they can share without being evaluated or graded. Cliel 
Shdaimah, a recent graduate from Yale Divinity School and a devout 
Jew, notes that if she were to create today meditating on a pericope 
of Scripture, it would likely be very different from work she has 
done before on the same set of verses, because she is changing and 
growing and so is her understanding of the Scripture (see figure 5). 



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Figure 5: “Ruth,” by Cliel Shdaimah

In addition, creative engagement with sacred texts can serve as 
an excellent gateway to interfaith discussion, particularly when dif-
ferent faith traditions share the same scriptures. It allows believers 
to show what the scripture means to them in their tradition and 
explore different meanings with those in different traditions. Library 
programming using other religious works, such as hymnals or prayer 



Conversation Groups    117

books, as the raw material for creative spiritual practices can also be 
a good practice for creative weeding. Milligan Libraries, where Jude 
worked prior to joining Yale Divinity Library, held annual Book+Art 
events. For these events, students were encouraged to take books 
that had reached the end of their shelf-lives and transform them 
into artwork. Creating art from worn-out books or other items can 
also teach students one way to honor the medium when it no longer 
functions as intended. Loose pages from a beloved text can be used 
to create wall art, paperweights, bookmarks, and more (see figure 
6). Creative practices can also be combined, such as using pages of 
a worn family Bible to make prayer beads, which can then serve as 
a reminder to pray for family members. 

Figure 6: “Changed,” by Jude Morrissey, created for a Book+Art event using pages 
from a damaged reproduction of the Saint John’s Bible



118    AT L A 2024 PROCEEDINGS

There are several ways to reach out to students (either through 
active or passive programming) to encourage a practice of creative 
engagement with faith. Book art events, as at Milligan Libraries, 
can help students learn to honor the medium when it has begun to 
fall apart, and help them consider what can be done in their future 
ministries with old hymnals when it is time to replace them, instead 
of throwing them away or storing them indefinitely. Photography is 
another creative practice that can be adopted for spiritual growth—
especially when a theme is introduced. Advent Word (https://advent-
word.org) is an annual online event where followers are asked to 
creatively respond to the word of the day, taken from lectionary 
readings; it then posts images on social media, showcasing photo-
graphs from participants around the world. Something similar, where 
students are asked to respond to (for example) the all-school read 
with a photograph and tag the library, is a very passive program. 

Students can be given the supplies and opportunity to use pic-
tures and words in combination to represent something about their 
spiritual identity, which can then perhaps be displayed. Pictures of 
their creations might be put up digitally, rotating on a monitor (to 
save printing costs) and students encouraged to discuss their work 
together. A workshop on creative journaling or prayer, incorporating 
doodles or decorative lettering could be offered. Likewise, a hand-
out explaining automatic drawing or painting, where you just start 
making art without intentionally working towards an image to see 
what appears and linking it to centering prayer or other meditative 
practices, can help folks who don’t think of themselves as artistic 
begin to practice creative engagement with their faith. Sho Zuska, 
a Celtic neopagan, uses automatic drawing to create artwork while 
meditating outdoors, to connect spiritually with nature (see figure 7).

And, of course, libraries can show how calligraphy can be a cre-
ative practice of spiritual engagement with scripture. Making the 
words as beautiful as possible, decorating them with images from 
related stories or simply writing them in pleasant shapes while medi-
tating on their meaning, can open space for spiritual contemplation. 
This could be a workshop, too, or it could be a display of Special 
Collections materials from various faiths along with a handout on 
the practice, encouraging students to try it for themselves.  

https://adventword.org
https://adventword.org


Conversation Groups    119

Figure 7: “It’s All Gone Jazz, Again,” by Sho Zuska

PRACTICING AND SHARING

Practices and methods of engaging with artful response to scriptures 
may vary depending on the context. The supplies and setup may be 
fairly simple, to avoid messes and make them generally friendly to 
the library environment: paper of various weights and sizes, gel pens, 
and colored pencils go a long way and are fairly affordable, even 
for a modest library budget. For a more advanced setup in a facil-
ity that allows for cleanup, materials like scissors, glue, paints, clay, 
and more could be appropriate. The constraints of limited supplies 
may allow for a particular form of creativity to emerge; creativity 
thrives where there are boundaries and margins.



120    AT L A 2024 PROCEEDINGS

Providing examples—particularly of less than perfect models—
may be helpful to participants in setting the stage. In the conference 
presentation, Karl emphasized that this activity was about “process, 
not perfection.”

It may be helpful to encourage participants to pair this with the 
use of other spiritual practices, such as prayer, or lectio divina, or 
silence—either before or after the artful response to their chosen text. 
Depending on the context, it can be helpful to define scripture gener-
ously. In the Atla conference context, for example, Karl acknowledged 
that participants would almost certainly not have a shared canon of 
scripture and that this was acceptable. In other contexts, it may be 
valuable to draw on a shared canon or make copies of sacred texts 
available. At Atla Annual, participants were relied upon to choose 
and bring with them their own copies of sacred texts.

Once participants choose their texts and spend time in reflection, 
it is up to the participants to write out their own texts in an artistic 
way, using color, lettering styles, doodling, and drawing to illustrate 
their text and bring it to life. This is a fairly freeform experience, 
allowing each individual to bring their creativity and expression 
to their text.

In the Atla conference context, participants used a sharing pro-
tocol to share texts, work, and experiences with each other. This 
could be useful for a group doing this activity together. It may also 
be possible to share asynchronously using a display space or social 
media. The sharing protocol used in the presentation arranged the 
group into a circle with a “talking piece” (any object that can signify 
respect for the person holding it having their turn to speak). As 
the leader, Karl acknowledged the diversity of those present and 
allowed participants to pass if they did not feel led to share. Passing 
the talking piece around the room and allowing each individual to 
claim their voice if they choose to do so can be a powerful exercise 
in listening and building community. 

At Atla Annual, participants did two rounds of sharing. In the 
first round, the participants were able to identify their name and 
the text they chose. In the second round, participants could share 
a brief reflection on what they observed in the time of responding 
to the text using art. A rule against crosstalk, or commenting on the 



Conversation Groups    121

shares of others, was instituted in order to ensure a safe space for 
everyone to share without fear of judgment.

CONCLUSION

Interactions with scripture are both deeply personal and communal. 
The range of expression permitted in this artful response activity 
allows individuals the opportunity to embody texts they consider 
sacred. It allows them to see how other individuals are engaging and 
learn from that as well. Done carefully, artful engagement with a 
variety of scriptures may be a way forward to building community 
in interfaith contexts. It may also be a source for strengthening a 
particular faith community from within. Libraries, as liminal spaces 
in the academy that mediate a long tradition of scholarship, are 
well-positioned to teach students and other community members 
the value of reading and responding to sacred texts through art. In 
this way, libraries can not only build individual spirituality, but also 
communal spirituality. 

REFERENCES

Donovan, Claire. 1991. The de Brailes Hours: Shaping the Book of 
Hours in Thirteenth-Century Oxford. London: British Library.

Hamburger, Jeffrey F. 2014. Script as Image. Corpus of Illuminated 
Manuscripts, vol. 21. Leuven: Peeters.

Holmes, Anne C. 2023. Creative Repair: Pastoral Care and Creativity. 
SCM Press.

Pludwinski, Izzy. 2012. Mastering Hebrew Calligraphy. New Milford, 
CT: Toby Press.

Rahman, Khalida. 2004. “Creative Spirit of the Traditional Art of 
Calligraphy, through the Contemporary Medium of Photography.” 
In Creativity and Crafts in the Muslim World: Proceedings of the 
International Seminar on Creativity in Islamic Crafts, Islamabad, 
10-12 October, 1994: 31–34. Islamic Crafts Series 7. Istanbul: 
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA).



12 2    AT L A 2024 PROCEEDINGS

Schimmel, Annemarie. 2004. “Creativity in the Art of Calligraphy.” 
Creativity and Crafts in the Muslim World: Proceedings of the 
International Seminar on Creativity in Islamic Crafts, Islamabad, 
10–12 October, 1994: 17–29. Islamic crafts Series 7. Istanbul: 
Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA).

Stevens, John. 1981. Sacred Calligraphy of the East. Boulder: Shambala.


