Joy Marie Clarkson has learned the art of seeing goodness, truth, and beauty in our midst and she helps us do the same.  

In case you are new to Joy, she holds a PhD in theology from the University of St. Andrews and is the author of two books, Aggressively Happy and, most recently, You Are a Tree. She is also a research associate in theology and literature at King's College London and the books editor for Plough Quarterly.  

In our time together, Joy shares about how teaching a course on the idea of beauty in Western Theology has shaped her views on topic, as well as her study of how art can prepare us for death. Joy also explains the power of the metaphors we use and how those metaphors shape us and our experience. In our discussion, and in her latest book, You Are a Tree, she helps us move away from impersonal, productivity-oriented metaphors to help us live into more life-giving and generative ways of being human.


Buy Melissa L. Johnson's book, Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless, here. Learn more about Impossible Beauty and join the community here.