Duke Divinity Art Tour Celebrates Nicaea and Its Legacy

Jesus on the cross with lighting behind

This is a summary of a story that originally appeared on the Divinity School website.

Duke Divinity School’s new self‑guided, online art tour commemorates the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed, an essential expression of Christian faith that is still affirmed by numerous ecclesial traditions all around the globe. Taking users through the art lining the school, it offers visitors a way to experience the school’s theological commitments.

With narration throughout, the tour invites visitors to see how the life of the church is reflected in stained glass, sculpture, portraiture and textile work throughout the building.

Dean Edgardo Colón-Emeric starts off the tour discussing a stained-glass Pentecost window, describing the meaning and importance of the work.

Portraits that line the hallways by artist Rachel Campbell, the spouse of Professor of New Testament Douglas Campbell, highlight the humanity and diversity of the Divinity community, notes Jerusha Neal, associate professor of homiletics.

The tour encourages visitors to encounter religion through beauty and to recognize how faith takes shape in color, texture and form. “Through artistic, theological, and historical reflection, our faculty reflect on what has made Duke Divinity unique in both the past and the present,” said Katherine Smith, associate dean for strategic initiatives.

For more information and to take the tour, go to the Divinity School website.