DITA was established in 2009 at Duke Divinity School by its current director, Dr. Jeremy Begbie, a leading voice in the conversation between faith and the arts. Since then, DITA has established itself in three main areas: research, teaching, and art in action. Through these three avenues, DITA exemplifies how the arts can be a powerful and necessary medium of theological truth.
Research
DITA engages in cutting-edge research at the intersection of theology and the arts, aiming to discover how the arts can reinvigorate theology and theology reinvigorate the arts. DITA has cultivated several major multi-disciplinary research initiatives in collaboration with institutions such as the University of Cambridge and Yale University, developed working partnerships with faculty around the world who are leading scholars in their field, and supports the next generation of scholarship through doctoral research grants, post-doctoral fellowships, and the Emerging Scholars Research Initiative.
Teaching
DITA provides graduate-level courses in theology and the arts along with a co-curricular Certificate in Theology and the Arts that can be earned alongside various degrees at Duke Divinity School. DITA also supports doctoral students who are researching the intersection of theology and the arts in Duke Divinity’s Doctor of Theology program.
Art in Action
DITA hosts numerous events throughout the year, including a bi-annual distinguished lecture series, an artist-in-residence program, and many other events open to the public. Last year, DITA celebrated its ten year anniversary with a three-day symposium on the future of theology and the arts.
