Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Theology

Program Name/Specialization

Pastoral Leadership

Faculty/School

Martin Luther University College

First Advisor

Allen Jorgenson

Advisor Role

Professor, Systematic Theology

Abstract

Creative practice has been confirmed as having benefits for health and well-being for people as well as an effective spiritual practice aiding in discernment. Clergy find their purpose in their sense of vocation, often formed and discerned in the context of seeking ordination. The researcher, an Anglican priest and amateur artist, presents a renewed idea of vocation as co-creation with God by engaging in creative practice. Throughout the dissertation she offers reflections from her own experiences in art, health recovery, and ministry. Fifteen Anglican clergy were interviewed about their vocation, ministry, and creative practice. Each of these clergy met the criteria of engaging in a creative practice on average 2-4 hours a month. The literature review provides foundations in the topics of vocation, identity, creation spirituality, aesthetic theology, clergy health, church context, and creative process. The core category emerging from constructivist grounded theory methodology is a theology of co-creation reinforced by regular creative practice. Through creative practice we connect with our identity as co-creators as we experience flow, or the transcendent state of consciousness produced by engaging fully in an activity, heightening discernment and awareness. Participants experience the impacts of their creative practices in their ministries through sharing art and creating together, forming relationships and connections among people. In the discussion, the findings are put in the context of the literature expanding on the possibilities that come out of embracing our vocation as co-creators including spiritual practice, embodied ministry, and clergy health. The conclusion offers possibilities that centre creative practice for the expansion of the church’s ministry in a new age.

Convocation Year

2025

Convocation Season

Spring

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