Through research, teaching, and arts programming, DITA promotes and supports the vibrant interplay between Christian theology and the arts by encouraging transformative leadership and enriching theological discussion in the church, academy, and society.

DITA2025: An International Symposium on Theology and the Arts

September 4–7, 2025

How can the arts help us open up the very heart of the Christian faith, celebrated at the Council of Nicaea in 325, that Jesus Christ is “one in being” with God? Featuring world-class academics, artists, musicians, and clergy from around the globe and a robust range of programming, DITA2025 is a four-day symposium at Duke University celebrating Nicaea and the myriad surprises the Creed holds in store for artists, academics, clergy, and parishioners today.

Early-bird registration now open! Visit the site below to get your spot today. We hope you can join us.

Learn More and Register for the DITA2025 symposium
Conference graphic with title "Visible & Invisible: Surprising Encounters in Theology and the Arts"

Latest News and Features

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D'Andrea Fanning: A Creative Finds an Interdisciplinary Career
October 17, 2024
D'Andrea Fanning: A Creative Finds an Interdisciplinary Career
D’Andrea Fanning (M.Div. '23) shares how Duke Divinity School, DITA, and the Certificate in Theology and the Arts led her to an interdisciplinary career as a business owner, consultant, professor, and Church minister.
DITA Director Awarded Doctor of Divinity from University of Aberdeen
June 20, 2024
DITA Director Awarded Doctor of Divinity from University of Aberdeen
Begbie was celebrated in a series of ceremonies, uniquely curated to celebrate his accomplishments in the field of theology and the arts.
Unspoken Requests
May 2, 2024
Unspoken Requests
A mixed-media gallery of works by DITA doctoral student Andrew Hendrixson, Th.D. '26, is installed in the 00 Westbrook Hallway. Learn about the gallery and the artist's journey to Duke Divinity School.
Kevin Hart poses amidst paper cranes with a finger raised

Theologian and Poet

An interview with Kevin Hart

Learn about DITA's newest affiliated faculty, Kevin Hart, the newly appointed Jo Rae Wright University Distinguished Professor at Duke Divinity School, who also has a secondary appointment in the Department of English. Hart discusses poetry, theology, and his appointment as the first University chair at the Divinity School.

Read the Interview with Kevin Hart

Our Academic Programs

Teaching is at the heart of DITA's work. We train future leaders in theology and the arts for work in the church, the academy, and the arts.
Certificate in Theology and the Arts
Certificate in Theology and the Arts
The Certificate in Theology and the Arts provides new opportunities to develop passions for the arts and integrate them with a lively and robust theology.
Th.D. Concentration
Th.D. Concentration
At the center of DITA’s work is a group of rigorous doctoral students whose research is expanding new horizons in theology and the arts.

"DITA coursework has shaped me in the classroom and beyond. It has led me from the mountain of contemplation to the valley of action. Through my arts coursework, I have integrated action and contemplation, academic study and Christian practice, both personally in my own artwork and for the community."

Sujatha Balasundaram (M.T.S. ’23)
image of book cover featuring transom windows

Current Research

Theology, Modernity, and the Visual Arts

This volume brings together the research mounted throughout the Theology, Modernity, and Visual Arts Project, one of the project wings of the wider Theology, Modernity, and the Arts project. Theologians, biblical scholars, art historians, and curators explore modern and contemporary artists from Pablo Picasso to Kent Monkman and Paul Cézanne to Cornelia Parker, addressing questions of theory, practice, and interpretation. Their contributions are orientated by an enquiring and critical focus on how modern and contemporary visual art coexists with, counters, illuminates, and serves Christianity. The volume was launched on July 9, 2024, during the final gathering of the Theology, Modernity, and Visual Arts project.

 

Learn More about the Book and Project