Biographical Information:
William Dyrness, professor of theology and culture, joined the Fuller faculty in 1990 and served as dean of the School of Theology from 1990 to 2000. He teaches courses in theology, culture, and the arts, and was a founding member of the Brehm Center for Worship, Theology and the Arts.
Dyrness has over 30 years of teaching experience in the U.S., the Philippines, Kenya, and South Korea. He has published work in a variety of fields, including theology and culture, apologetics, theology and art, and global missions. His recent works include
Poetic Theology (2010),
A Primer in Christian Worship (2009), the
Global Dictionary of Theology (co-edited with Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, 2008),
Senses of the Soul: Art and the Visual in Christian Worship (2008),
Reformed Theology and Visual Culture: The Protestant Imagination from Calvin to Edwards (2004),
Visual Faith (2001),
Changing the Mind of Missions with James F. Engel (2000), and
The Earth is God's: A Theology of American Culture (1997). He has also served on the national boards of Christians in the Visual Arts (Wenham, MA), 1999 to 2005, and Development Associates International (Colorado Springs, CO), 2000 to the present, and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is currently at work on a major research project funded by the Henry Luce Foundation on the use of visual images in worship in Christian, Buddhist and Muslim communities. Additionally, he is currently writing a book with art historian Dan Siedell on the religious influences of modern art.
Courses Taught:
PH510 Christian Apologetics
ST588 Theology of Africa, Asia, and Latin America
MT700/800 Tutorial in Mission Theology
MT543/643 Theology in Global Perspective
TC560/860 Theology and Culture Seminar
TC516 Theology and Art
TC519 Medieval Art and Theology
TC562/862 Dante's Comedy: Art/Theology
TC516 Theology, Worship, and Art
TC564 A Theology of Beauty
MD 543 Introduction to Global Theology
Areas of Expertise, Research, Writing, and Teaching:
Theology and culture (especially theology and the
visual arts), Protestant vision since the Reformation in relation to the visual
arts, non-Western theology, Christian apologetics, Global Theology