The Advent Project 2023

December 2 – January 7

Greetings from President Barry Corey

Advent is one of the greatest and most mysterious seasons of the Christian calendar. Advent celebrates the incarnation, the mind-blowing reality of the God of the universe becoming a man: living, breathing, walking on earth as we do. But even as it celebrates Christ's arrival on earth and his rescue of it, Advent also looks patiently to the future return of Christ to bring all wrongs to right, once and for all. Advent accepts the tension of the already and the not yet. It welcomes waiting. It is merriment and melancholy together, beauty so sublime that, like the best art, it simultaneously comforts and rocks us to the core.

It is perhaps not surprising, then, that the mystery and magnitude of Advent lends itself so well to artistic exploration. Like Advent, the arts also accept tension and welcome waiting. The Incarnation itself lends dignity to artistic and cultural pursuits. Christ didn't come as a cerebral concept or an ethereal force. He came as a physical man; a man who worked with his hands as a carpenter; a man who enjoyed eating and drinking with friends; a Jewish man who told stories and interacted with the cultural rituals, traditions, tropes and expressions all around him. Christ is a cultural being. That is one reason we launched the Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts. Christians are called to be countercultural, but not anti-culture. It's the world we live in. It's the world Christ lived in and the world that he redeemed.

Dr. Barry H. Corey

Dr. Barry H. Corey
President of Biola University

About the Advent Project

The Advent Project is a daily devotional series celebrating the beauty and meaning of the Advent season through art, music, poetry, prayer, Scripture, and a written devotion. The project starts on the first day of Advent and continues through Epiphany. Our goal is to help individuals quiet their hearts and enter into a daily routine of worship and anticipatory reflection during this meaningful but often hectic season. Our prayer is that the Advent Project will help ground you in the unsurpassable beauty, mystery and miracle of the Word made flesh.

View the Advent Project Archive

Invest in the Advent Project

What started as a small humble project has grown over the years to reach thousands of subscribers all over the world. We are most grateful for those that continue to support this unique project. The Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture, and the Arts invests many hours and resources into making this series available to the world for free. As a way of showing your appreciation for this resource and ensuring that it continues, would you consider donating to the Advent Project?

Give Online

To make a secure donation to the CCCA, visit our giving page.

Give by Mail

To mail a contribution, please make your check to Biola University and mail to:

Advancement Services
Biola University
P.O. Box 3760
La Mirada, CA 90637-3760

For assistance, call: 1-800-632-4652.