Master of Arts in Theology & Culture: The Arts
A Prophetic Practice of Art and Meaning-Making
2 years to complete
39 credit hours of coursework
2 residency gatherings
The MATC: Arts specialization is for artists, makers, and imaginative leaders who feel called to create not just art—but transformation. Designed for creatives who hold together both introspection and cultural impact, this two-year theology graduate program equips artists to become cultural prophets: those who speak truth to power, tend to collective wounds and offer glimpses of God through beauty.
If your art is rooted in sacred questions, if you feel a call to make meaning out of pain, or if you dream of a more just and loving world—this program offers space to explore, deepen, and embody that call.
Throughout history, artists have been spiritual guides and social critics—naming injustice, mourning what is broken, and revealing what could be. This program embraces that prophetic lineage and invites you to step into it with theological grounding and vocational clarity.
At The Seattle School, we believe that art can be a form of prayer, protest, and prophecy all at once. The artist is not merely a reflector of culture, but a transformer of it—offering beauty not as an escape, but as a doorway to truth, healing, and imagination.
Begin Your Application
The Artist as Cultural Prophet
In this program, you will:
- Integrate theological reflection with your creative process
- Explore how your art can disrupt injustice and point toward collective liberation
- Discover how beauty can be a form of sacred encounter
- Cultivate spiritual depth for a more resilient and sustainable creative life
- Develop your distinct voice as an artist rooted in faith, justice, and transformative hope
By the end of the MATC: Arts specialization, you will be equipped to:
- Articulate a theology of creativity that is both personal and prophetic
- Create work that responds to suffering with beauty, courage, and truth
- Use your artistic gifts in service to your community and cultural moment
- Engage scripture and theology in ways that expand your creative lens
- Practice deep listening—to yourself, to others, to God—and create from that place
“The vocation of the artist, poet, composer, creative, dreamer, etc. is a flickering yet steady hope as the artist's heart is burst open on behalf of others. This is a call to live into the wildness of God’s new creation and is a fierce antidote to the silence and dehumanization of our world.”
Chelle Stearns, PhD
Associate Professor of Theology Meet Our Core Faculty
The Curriculum
All MATC students begin with a shared Common Curriculum, building a foundation in theology, psychology, biblical studies, and culture. In your second year, you’ll specialize further through coursework and hands-on learning shaped by your creative practice.
You’ll explore questions like:
- How has God historically spoken through art and artists?
- What does beauty have to say in the face of suffering?
- How can creativity disrupt systems of harm and call communities to something more whole?
Your coursework includes:
- A studio & seminar course that invites integration of theology and creative practice
- Special topics in public theology, social engagement, and the arts
- Collaborative projects and reflective writing to explore your story, voice, and call
Assignments across the degree program are crafted to help you practice theology through your medium—whether that’s painting, poetry, filmmaking, music, dance, or something entirely new.
“I felt like [the Common Curriculum] was a good way to learn about each other, practice active listening, and dive deep into our cultural contexts.”
MATC Student Explore MATC Voices
Answer the Call to Create Something That Matters
This is a program for artists who feel the pull to go deeper—for those whose creative work is part lament, part liturgy, and part resistance. If you long to create work that brings clarity, healing, and hope—work that bears witness to the divine movement in the world—this is your invitation. Request more information or apply today, and we’ll send you everything you need to know in order to begin your journey.