From the blog
Advent reflection: Son of David
On this third Sunday of Advent, in keeping with the Advent theme of longing and waiting, or promise and fulfilment to use the Biblical categories, our main text for reflection is 2 Samuel 7:1-17, the account of David’s desire to build God a “house.” Our New Testament counterpart is a slightly unusual choice, Romans 1:1-7, as it gives peculiar expression to the ultimate fulfilment of God’s response to David through the prophet Nathan, that he instead would be the one to build David a “dynasty.”
The world well staged? Creation and culture revisited
Culture is thus both human achievement and divine gift. It is, to stay with our metaphor, the performance of our ultimate beliefs and values—the inevitable staging of our religion. If this is so, it is the task of theology pre-eminently to interpret and articulate the meaning of the cultures we inhabit; and to suggest the way of (biblical) wisdom throughout the stages of life.
On being creative
Artists are not fatally cast upon their inner brilliance (or lack thereof), but called to the diligent use of their peculiar insights into the givenness of what God has created; a world budding with potentiality in anticipation of his image-bearers to explore and celebrate.
Sekoto and I
Sekoto was self-taught, he didn’t go to school like people today. And an interesting thing about him; he was born in 1913, in the same year that the Land Act was passed in South Africa. It’s fascinating to see how he interacted with that time, growing up in that era in South Africa.
Culture Care
Inspired by organizations like CIVA, artway.eu, Morphe Arts and The Rabbit Room, South African artists have realised the need for a place where artists can think deeply and come together and dialogue about faith.
Shadow and light – Archetypes and the Gospels
If we combine the 4 Jungian archetypes with the personifications of the tetramorph, can we make a case for Christ as the perfect fulfilment of all that Freud, Jung, Campbell, Moore, and Gilette are looking for? In a society of disordered archetypes, and psychoses of imbalance, can we psycho-analyse Christ in a Jungian framework and find the perfect man? I contend that we can. And that the answer to all our psychoses can be found by spending time in the gospels.
Fiddlers and Afflictions – joy and suffering in the work of Marc Chagall
Seeking for ‘mentors in hope’ in the troubling times in South Africa and abroad made me reflect on some of the ways Chagall seems to brave despair.
Secularization’s Crisis: What Africa has to offer the world
The notion of the secularisation of (Western) society is a fascinating subject in its own right, with both supporters and detractors of its central thesis; that our society is no longer concerned with religion the way it used to be. Secular, from saeculum (generation, or age) in its Christian Latin usage denotes ‘the world’, as opposed to sacred, from sacer (holy), that which is consecrated to God. Back in 1966 Bryan Wilson called it “the process in which religious thinking, practice and institutions lose social significance”, and Anthony Giddens, more recently as “the process where religion loses its influence over the various spheres of social life”. Or, as Max Weber more imaginatively called it, “the disenchantment of the world”.
Advent reflection: Son of David
On this third Sunday of Advent, in keeping with the Advent theme of longing and waiting, or promise and fulfilment to use the Biblical categories, our main text for reflection is 2 Samuel 7:1-17, the account of David’s desire to build God a “house.” Our New Testament counterpart is a slightly unusual choice, Romans 1:1-7, as it gives peculiar expression to the ultimate fulfilment of God’s response to David through the prophet Nathan, that he instead would be the one to build David a “dynasty.”
The world well staged? Creation and culture revisited
Culture is thus both human achievement and divine gift. It is, to stay with our metaphor, the performance of our ultimate beliefs and values—the inevitable staging of our religion. If this is so, it is the task of theology pre-eminently to interpret and articulate the meaning of the cultures we inhabit; and to suggest the way of (biblical) wisdom throughout the stages of life.
On being creative
Artists are not fatally cast upon their inner brilliance (or lack thereof), but called to the diligent use of their peculiar insights into the givenness of what God has created; a world budding with potentiality in anticipation of his image-bearers to explore and celebrate.
Sekoto and I
Sekoto was self-taught, he didn’t go to school like people today. And an interesting thing about him; he was born in 1913, in the same year that the Land Act was passed in South Africa. It’s fascinating to see how he interacted with that time, growing up in that era in South Africa.
ABOUT
KRUX
Our mission is best described as theological discipleship—a form of discipleship that seeks to bring both thought and behaviour under the lordship of Christ. Primarily this means gaining a deep understanding of God’s great act toward us in Christ, and therefore, the consequences of the Gospel for all of human endeavour.
We believe this can only truly be done in community through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and is expressed by means of study, mentorship, practicing hospitality, and engaging with the Arts.
“Christ did not come to make us christian, but to make us human.”
–
Hans Rookmaaker
What We Do
Theological Discipleship
Theological discipleship pursues a head and heart knowledge of our faith, a living theology, forged in the fire of community.
This is the vital foundation of KRUX.
Mentoring
Mentorship is intrinsic to the theological and relational core of KRUX, whether by means of personal conversation, counselling, small group seminar, or sharing a meal.
Culture & the Arts
KRUX offers various seminars and opportunities for reflecting on the intersection of faith and culture, and facilitates an annual Artists Gathering, which connects artists from across Southern Africa and has brought several international speakers to our shores.
Community
Weekly fellowship meals followed by a short discussion, presentation, or film/music clip, and lively conversation is the embodiment of engaged faith-in-community at KRUX.
KRUX arts
Gathering faith-based artists into a community for discourse, dialogue and practice in the arts is a liberating and life-giving venture. Explore some of the exciting initiatives we’ve been involved with the past few years:
Recommended Reads
Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind
Tom Holland
Images and Idols: Creativity for the Christian Life
T.J. Terry & J.R. Lister
Paul: A Biography
N.T. Wright
Recent events
The Artists' Gathering
Watch recordings online
The Doctrine of Creation
KLICE seminar
Art Walkabout
Contemporary Christian artists talk about their work
Get Involved
KRUX offers an exciting range of events, ranging from informal conversations around faith and art, to formal theological discussions, as well as gallery visits and of course, our annual artists’ gathering.