St Hild Alumna, Revd Dr Joanna Leidenhag, wears several hats. An academic theologian and an Anglican serving in a self-supporting ministry (SSM) role, she is also, quietly and faithfully, a painter — though that almost wasn’t the case.
“When I decided not to pursue art formally, I felt God clearly call me to keep painting in my free time — for his glory, not mine,” she says. It was a calling she describes as threefold: a spiritual discipline, an act of worship, and a means of channelling God’s love to others. Following through on it, however, has proved easier in some seasons of life than others.
Joanna came to St Hild on a bespoke academic pathway, designed to address gaps in her prior theological education while immersing her in the rhythms of college life through placements and community participation. It was there that something shifted in her creative life.
“During my time at St Hild, I have been encouraged by other students to be freed from the perfectionism that was holding me back,” she reflects — and so she picked up her paints once again.
Her process is as much spiritual as it is artistic. Images, she explains, tend to surface during prayer or worship, arriving unbidden and fully formed. What follows is a slow, deliberate act of trust. “I never know who they are for or when that person will see the artwork,” she says, as her paintings can take a long time to produce. Yet she remains unhurried by the uncertainty. “I trust that God has a plan for how these paintings will somehow build His Kingdom.”
** A note from Joanna:
Here is the publisher’s website: In Spirit and in Truth- Wipf and Stock Publishers
This is the first time a painting of mine has been used as cover art. I am also one of the book’s editors and contributed an essay inside the book.
