Lincoln Hanks on Glimpses of Joy, Beauty, and Eternity in Music

Summary In this episode of Beauty Through Faith, Benjamin Harding and Gustav Hoyer chat with composer and educator Lincoln Hanks for a wide-ranging and deeply reflective conversation on beauty, time, faith, and the vocation of the artist.Lincoln shares how his understanding of beauty was shaped by childhood imagination, sacred music, and the writings of C.S. Lewis, especially the idea of fleeting “glimpses of joy” that point beyond the temporal world. Drawing from his experience as a composer, pianist, and academic leader, he reflects on how music can suspend time, gesture toward eternity, and invite listeners into contemplation.The conversation explores Lincoln’s compositional influences, from Renaissance polyphony and Orthodox chant to modern figures like Olivier Messiaen, and how these traditions inform works such as Liza Sinesti and Monstre Sacré, written in collaboration with pianist Paul Barnes. They also discuss the relationship between the church and contemporary sacred art, the role of beauty outside the worship service, and what it means to serve faithfully as an artist in both sacred and secular spaces.Whether you’re a composer, performer, theologian, or simply a listener drawn to beauty, this episode offers a thoughtful meditation on art as a window into eternity.Links Lincoln Hanks* Official Website: https://www.nlincolnhanks.com(Music, biography, and contact information)Collaborators & Influences* Paul Barnes – Pianist and commissioner of Liza Sinesti and Monstre Sacré* Olivier Messiaen * C. S. Lewis - Surprised By JoyInstitution * Pepperdine University – Where Lincoln serves as Dean of the Fine Arts DivisionTopics * What the pursuit of beauty means for a Christian artist* C.S. Lewis, childhood imagination, and “glimpses of joy”* Time, tempo, and atemporality in music* Messiaen, color, gesture, and musical transcendence* Orthodox chant, Renaissance counterpoint, and sacred listening* Writing Liza Sinesti with pianist Paul Barnes* The church’s relationship to contemporary sacred art* Serving faithfully as an artist beyond the worship service* Lincoln’s current work as Dean of Fine Arts at Pepperdine* Advice for young composers discerning their vocationBeauty through Faith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit beautythroughfaith.substack.com/subscribe