Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts

Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA) promotes a vibrant engagement between Christian theology and the arts at Duke Divinity School and beyond.

Matthew Rushing and Du’Bois A’Keen are debuting Sacred Spaces tomorrow, September 18, 2026. This production with Duke Ar...
09/17/2026

Matthew Rushing and Du’Bois A’Keen are debuting Sacred Spaces tomorrow, September 18, 2026. This production with Duke Arts builds on Sacred Places, the new work they created as part of Rushing’s artist in context residency at Duke Divinity School this past academic year (2025-2026). We are so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Matthew and Du’Bois last year, and this newest iteration, Sacred Spaces, shows just how much of an impact they have had on the Duke and Durham communities.

These highlights from April bear witness to their work’s extraordinary capacity to draw others in and connect on a deep emotional and spiritual level. We can’t wait to see the show tomorrow and all the ways the collaboration has grown.

All the best, Matthew, Du’Bois, and cast!

And see the link 👇. There are still a few tix left. 🎉

https://arts.duke.edu/events/matthew-rushing-sacred-spaces/

09/11/2026

It’s been one year since DITA2025, a four-day international symposium hosted at Duke University. On this anniversary, we’re still seeing all the ways the conference connections and community are unfolding. In celebration of this impact, we’re looking backward and forward, hopeful and confident for more surprising encounters to come through conversation, events, and connections.

See the links below for the full recap video and new events. And for those of you who attended, let us know in the comments how DITA2025 impacted you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIqW030ktpI

https://divinity.duke.edu/initiatives/dita

It's been a little over two weeks, but it feels like yesterday. Below are a few sequenced highlights from Sacred Places:...
05/01/2026

It's been a little over two weeks, but it feels like yesterday. Below are a few sequenced highlights from Sacred Places: Decoding the Spiritual, the culmination of Matthew Rushing's term as Artist in Context at Duke Divinity School. As you flip through these photos, we hope you get a glimpse of the night, and see how Rushing and A'Keen invited everyone into a conversation about the enduring power of the spirituals and of dance's unique capacity to help us embody both lament and hope.

Stay tuned for more. We look forward to carrying on the conversation!

As always, our thanks to our partners, Duke Arts, Duke University Chapel, and the Creative Arts Collective.

And for those of you who couldn't attend in person, here's a breakdown of the night's show:

1. Glory, Glory: Opening dance number featuring full troupe
2. A'Keen and Rushing share about the original production and process
3. Documentary Episode 1: The Vision
4. Matthew Rushing performs a core movement sequence that informs the entirety of Sacred Songs and Places
5. Documentary Episode 2: The Music
6. A'Keen and the band play Elijah Riff, a development of a traditional spiritual Elijah Rock
7. Panel discussion on the theology of the work with Divinity faculty Dr. Daniel Train and Dr. Ellen Davis

Then The Big Three: Featuring the full troupe, the band, and choreography from the original Sacred Songs

8. Passage Song
9. By The Waters of Babylon
10. Troubles Troubling

11. Audience Q&A - what was the creative process like?
12. Oh Morning Star: A new number with original choreography by Rushing and dance MFA students and music by A'Keen
13. Closing sing-along conducted by A'Keen and a final fist pump by Rushing, or simply, closing joy.

It was a night to remember. We look forward to sharing more. And note the Duke hoodies. 👍

Photo credit: Les Todd Photography

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