S5 E4 | Karen Smith | From Lament To Lyric: How Taylor Swift's Music Gave Voice To Church Hurt

The Alabaster Jar

In this episode of the Alabaster Jar, Dr. Lynn Cohick and Dr. Kelly Dippolito sit down with Karen Smith to discuss her journey as an artist and how her theological education has influenced her art. She shares how studying scripture has influenced her paintings and how she uses art to explore the stories of women in the Bible. Karen also talks about her experience of church hurt and how she used Taylor Swift's lyrics to express her emotions and process her grief. This conversation highlights the importance of empathy and the role of art in healing and self-expression.

Key Takeaways:

• Studying scripture has greatly influenced Karen's art. She often visualizes the stories she studies and tries to accurately represent them in her paintings.
• Karen used Taylor Swift's lyrics to express her emotions and process her experience of church hurt, finding empathy and agency in the music.
• Art can be a powerful tool for healing and self-expression, allowing individuals to explore their emotions and connect with others.
• Engaging with secular music and culture can provide opportunities for empathy and understanding and inspire creativity and beauty.
• The church needs empathy and imagination to create a healthy, inclusive community.

Episode Resources:
Karen Smith’s Taylor Swift Lament Playlist
The Visual Museum of Women in Christianity

Episode Sponsor:
The Alabaster Jar is brought to you by The Center for Women in Leadership, a newly formed 501©3 nonprofit organization whose purpose is to equip women in a context that is biblically rooted, theologically robust, and ethnically diverse to thrive as leaders in the academy and the Church. Follow them on Instagram @leadershipwithoutapology. Learn more about The Center for Women in Leadership at https://www.leadershipwithoutapology.org/.