A vision of hope and fear: Creative research and Ezekiel 1

Despite a growing interest in the visual among biblical scholars, little to no integration of the creation of visual images with traditional modes of research has occurred. In this article I argue that the creation of visual art can uniquely contribute to biblical studies in general, and more specifically to conversations surrounding Ezekiel 1. After surveying the developments in biblical studies that attend to the visual in some way, I turn to a description of the major streams of Ezekielan scholarship, pointing out an area requiring further attention, namely the confluence of hope and danger bound up in the images of Ezekiel 1. After touching on several prominent artists who influence my thinking, I present a painting that functions as my primary reading of Ezekiel 1. In my painting I argue that the images of Ezekiel 1 carry with them both the experience of suffering and the hope of a sovereign and salvific God.