Biblical Artist Series: Why John Hendrix Draws in Church

Could drawing in church actually be a good thing? John Hendrix thinks so. John is a New York Times bestselling author, widely published illustrator, and Professor of Art at the Sam Fox School of Art and Design at Washington University in St. Louis. For John, drawing is far from a distraction in church; it's a way of sharpening his concentration, enlivening new concepts, and worshiping his Creator.

In this episode, John draws from his experience as a committed Christian and an illustrator. Interviewed by Dr. Dru Johnson and Ned Bustard, a previous guest in the Biblical Artist podcast series, John explores his sketchbook of church sermons, differentiates between font and typeface, and introduces us to the idea of gestalt. Along the way, he shares why he eschews the title of "artist" and why he prefers to be called an illustrator or designer. He gives advice to budding professional or nonprofessional artists. As we delve into biblical thinking, we can discover how art and its powerful tools of imagery and metaphor can shape our minds to understand new truths.

Show notes:

• 0:00 Getting to know John Hendrix
• 2:03 Reading culture and creating typefaces
• 9:05 Discussing John's "Cain" piece (the featured image of this post)
• 14:02 Sketching in church
• 18:40 Illustration, metaphor, and Scripture
• 25:15 What's wrong with the title of "artist"
• 29:19 Advice for artists

Learn more about John Hendrix and his work.

View John's sketchbook.

Some of John's recent books:

• Go and Do Likewise (forthcoming)
• Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus
• The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler

Show notes by Micah Long

Credits for the music used in TBM podcast can be found at: hebraicthought.org/credits.