Dispatch from Scotland

Dear Friends:

I write from St Andrews, (@VisitStAndrews), Scotland (@VisitScotland). My wife, Debby, and I relocated from Grand Rapids (@ExperienceGR), Michigan (@PureMichigan) on Monday-Tuesday, August 13-14, so that she can pursue a masters degree at the Institute of Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at St Mary's College / University of St Andrews (@univofstandrews). It's a very innovative program and Debby looks forward to working on integrating the disciplines of theology, imagination, and her passion for using artistic expression of all forms to articulate the biblical narrative and engage the culture.

We’re enjoying the Scottish people, the lush and dramatic landscape, and the historic town and university with its cathedral and castle ruins. It's been an excellent experience and we’re settling in quite well to life in St Andrews. We're walking everywhere and enjoying a slower pace of life.

We worshiped at All Saints Church, a Scottish Episcopal Church, in downtown St Andrews on Sunday amidst incense and what they tell us is high church liturgy. The sermon was stimulating and the congregation friendly. We had an excellent conversation about art and architecture with one of Debby's professors, Dr David Brown, who serves on the clerical staff of the church, as well as being a full professor at St Mary's College.

After church Debby and I walked over to the Old Course (@oldcourseexp) and, because it's closed on Sunday to golfers and turned into a public park, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the 17th fairway! The course is tucked between the town and an expansive beach on the North Sea. I hope to play one of the St Andrews Links Trust (@TheHomeofGolf) courses in the next week or two! Debby plans to post updates on her blog about our life here in St Andrews. Also visit her website debbytopliff.com.

John

John Topliff
General Manager, Somersault (@smrsault)
Email: jtopliff@somersaultgroup.com
St Andrews Office - Dial from the USA: 011-44-7713-183363
USA Office: 616-551-1539
131 Division Avenue South, Suite 300
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

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John - I can't wait to hear the conversation. What an exciting confluence of thought and disciplines. I think of Christianity from the past influencing culture and mores through art. I suspect today, without patronage, art influenced by Christian thought will be very powerful and relevant. I look forward to hearing the dispatches.

Eric Grimm

— Eric
Dear Eric: It's so good to hear from you. I remember the discussion we had at ICRS in 2010 when Dave Lambert, Jon Petersen, Jeannette Taylor, John Sawyer, and I launched Somersault in St Louis. Now I'm living in St Andrews, Scotland and my wife, Debby, is a student at the third oldest English speaking university in the world. The two older universities are Oxford and Cambridge. The University of St Andrews will celebrate its 600th anniversary in 2013.

The students in the program Debby is enrolled in engage many types and expressions of art including music, literature, painting, sculpture, theater, etc. from the foundation of theological reflection and biblical exegesis. As you might know from visiting Debby's website (debbytopliff.com) that most recently she has expressed her artistic soul through painting entire books of the Bible: Revelation, Acts, and the Gospel of Mark. We have reproductions of them hanging in our home here in St Andrews.

All the best to you, Eric.
John

— John