Art in our Lives
Where are you as you read this? You may be sitting in an office, reclining
in a lounge chair at
home,
lounging in your back yard, sitting at a desk in your dorm room, or
any other of a number of
scenarios.
Consider for a moment if art is part of your consciousness. If you are
sitting in an
office,
is art anywhere within your vision? If you are reclining in a lounge
chair, does the furniture
have
an artistic dimension? If you are lounging in your back yard, can the
word art be used to
describe
any facet of what you see? If you are in your dorm room, are you listening
to music that
is
art?
If I had the pleasure of dialoguing with you in regard to these questions,
no doubt we would have
a
very interesting conversation. Some of you may say, "No, art doesn't
describe anything I see at
the
moment." Or, some of you may state, "I haven't thought of this before.
You'll have to give me
more
time for reflection."Others may assert, "I only think of art within
museums, concert halls or
other
such places that enshrine our art." Others may say, "Yes, art is very
much a part of my daily
life."
But since I can't dialog with you in order to know what you are doing
at the moment, and I
certainly
cannot see what you see, let me tell you where I am and what I see as
I write these
comments.
I am sitting in my study at my desk while I am listening to the music
of Bach. I see a
clock
on one of the bookshelves, a hand-painted plate I purchased in the country
of Slovenia, a
framed
poem given to me by my daughter, several chairs, two floor lamps, a
mirror with a bamboo
frame,
two canoe paddles I bought in the San Blas islands off the coast of
Panama, a wooden
statue
I purchased in Ecuador, and a unique, colorful sculpture that was made
by my son. As I
mention
these things, perhaps you are attempting to imagine them. You are trying
to "see" or
"hear"
them and in so doing there are certain of these items you may describe
as art. Your first
response
may be to say that the music of Bach, the hand-painted Slovenian plate,
or the
Ecuadorian
statue can be described as art. But what about the chair in which I
am sitting, the
desk,
the bookshelves, the chairs, or the lamps? Better yet, what about such
items that are found
where
you live? Are they art?
Such questions are indicative of the challenges we face when we begin
to consider the place of
art
in our lives. As an evangelical Christian I can state that art and the
aesthetic dimensions of life
have
not received much attention within my formal training. Only through
my own pursuit have I
begun
to think about art with a Christian world view.And I have found my experience
is similar to
what
many have experienced within the evangelical community. Too often we
have tended to
label
art as inconsequential or even detrimental to the Christian life.
Actually, there is nothing new about this. Our spiritual forefathers
debated such issues. They were
surrounded
by Greek and pagan cultures that challenged them to give serious thought
to how they
should
express their new beliefs. Art surrounded them, but could the truth
of Christ be expressed
legitimately
through art? Could Christians give positive attention to the art of
non- Christians? In
light
of such struggles it is my intention to encourage you to give attention
to some of the basic
elements
of a Christian world view of art and aesthetics in this essay. I believe
you will find that
our
discussion can have significant application in your life.
Art and Aesthetics
Several years ago I was having dinner with a group of young people when
our conversation
turned
to the subject of music. During the discussion I made a comment about
how I believe there
is
a qualitative difference between the music of Bach and that of a musician
who was popular
among
Christians at the time of our discussion. When one of the group at our
table heard this, he
immediately
responded in anger and accused me of flagrant prejudice and a judgmental
spirit.
Even
though I attempted to elaborate my point, the young man had determined
that I was an elitist
and
would not listen any longer.
This incident serves as a reminder that one of the most prevalent ways
of approaching art is to
simply
say that "beauty is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder." The incident
also serves to show
that
concepts of "good" and "bad," or "beautiful" and "ugly," or other adjectives,
are part of our
vocabulary
when we talk of art. This is true whether we believe such terms apply
only to
individuals
or everyone. The vocabulary pertains to a field of philosophy called
aesthetics.
All of us deal with aesthetics at various times in our lives, and many
of us incorporate aesthetic
statements
in daily conversations. For example, we may say, "That was a great movie."
Or, "That
was
a terrible movie." When we make such statements we normally don't think
seriously about
how
such terms actually apply to what we have seen. We are stating our opinions,
but those
opinions
are usually the result of an immediate emotional response. The challenge
comes when
we
attempt to relate qualitative statements about the movie as part of
a quest to find universal
guidelines
that can be applied to all art. When we accept this challenge we begin
to explain why
some
artists and their art is great, some merely good, and others not worthwhile.
Aesthetics and Nature
Perhaps one of the clearest ways to begin to understand the aesthetic
dimension of our lives is to
consider
how we respond to nature. Have you ever heard anyone say, "That's an
ugly sunset."
Probably
not, but surely you have heard the word beautiful applied to sunsets.
And when you
hear
the phrase "beautiful sunset" you probably don't hear an argument to
the contrary. Usually
there
is a consensus among those who see the sunset: it is beautiful. From
a Christian perspective
those
who are there are offering a judgment concerning both the "artist" and
the "art." Both the
"cause"
and "effect" have been praised aesthetically. Torrential waterfalls,
majestic mountains, as
well
as sunsets routinely evoke human aesthetic response. The Christian knows
that the very
fabric
of the universe expresses God's presence with majestic beauty and grandeur.
Psalm 19:1
states,
"The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows forth
his handiwork."
Nature
has been called the "aesthetics of the infinite." Through telescope
or microscope, one can
devote
a lifetime to the study of some part of the universe--the skin, the
eye, the sea, the flora and
fauna,
the stars, the climate. All of nature can be appreciated for its aesthetic
qualities which find
their
source in God, their Creator. In fact, we can assert that "the major
premise of a Christian
world
view, including a Christian aesthetic, is that God is the Creator."(1)
Human Creativity
"You have a wonderful imagination! Are you an artist?" Has anyone said
such things to you? If
so,
perhaps you responded by saying something that would reject the person's
perception of you.
Most
of us don't see ourselves as imaginative, artistic people. Indeed, most
of us tend to think of
the
artist and imagination as terms that apply only to certain elite individuals
who have left a
legacy
of work. "The truth is that in discussing the arts we are discussing
something universal to
mankind."(2)
For example, anthropologists tell us all primitive peoples thought art
was
important.(3)
Why is this true?
From the perspective of a Christian world view the answer is found in
how we are created. Since
we
are made in God's image that must include the glorious concept that
we too are creative. After
creating
man, God told him to subdue the earth and rule over it. Adam was to
cultivate and keep
the
garden (Gen. 2:15) which was described by God as "very good" (Gen. 1:31).
The implication
of
this is very important. God, the Creator, a lover of the beauty in His
created world, invited
Adam,
one of His creatures, to share in the process of "creation" with Him.
He has permitted
humans
to take the elements of His cosmos and create new arrangements with
them. Perhaps
this
explains the reason why creating anything is so fulfilling to us. We
can express a drive within
us
which allows us to do something all humans uniquely share with their
Creator.
God has thus placed before the human race a banquet table rich with
aesthetic delicacies. He has
supplied
the basic ingredients, inviting those made in His image to exercise
their creative
capacities
to the fullest extent possible. We are privileged as no other creature
to make and enjoy
art.
There is a dark side to this, however, because sin entered and affected
all of human life. A bent
and
twisted nature has emerged, tainting every field of human endeavor or
expression and
consistently
marring the results. The unfortunate truth is that divinely-endowed
creativity will
always
be accompanied in earthly life by the reality and presence of sin expressed
through a
fallen
race. Man is Jekyll and Hyde: noble image-bearer and morally- crippled
animal. His works
of
art are therefore bittersweet.
Understanding this dichotomy allows Christians to genuinely appreciate
something of the
contribution
of every artist, composer, or author. God is sovereign and dispenses
artistic talents
upon
whom He will. While Scripture keeps us from emulating certain lifestyles
of artists or
condoning
some of their ideological perspectives, we can nevertheless admire and
appreciate their
talent,
which ultimately finds its source in God.
The fact is that if God can speak through a burning bush or Balaam's
donkey, He can speak
through
a hedonistic artist! The question can never be how worthy is the vessel,
but rather has
truth
been expressed? God's truth is still sounding forth today from the Bible,
from nature, and
even
from fallen humanity.
Because of the Fall, absolute beauty in the world is gone. But participation
in the aesthetic
dimension
reminds us of the beauty that once was, and anticipates its future luster.
With such
beauty
present today that can take one's breath away, even in this unredeemed
world, one can but
speculate
about what lies ahead for those who love Him!
Art and the Bible
What does the Bible have to say about the arts? Happily, the Bible does
not call upon Christians to
look
down upon the arts. In fact, the arts are imperative when considered
from the biblical
mandate
that whatever we do should be done to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31).
We are to offer
Him
the best that we have-- intellectually, artistically, and spiritually.
Further, at the very center of
Christianity
stands the Incarnation ("the Word made flesh"), an event which identified
God with
the
physical world and gave dignity to it. A real Man died on a real cross
and was laid in a real,
rock-hard
tomb. The Greek ideas of "other- worldly-ness" that fostered a tainted
and debased
view
of nature (and hence aesthetics) find no place in biblical Christianity.
The dichotomy
between
sacred and secular is thus an alien one to biblical faith. Paul's statement,
"Unto the pure,
all
things are pure" (Titus 1:5) includes the arts. While we may recognize
that human creativity,
like
all other gifts bestowed upon us by God, may be misused, there is nothing
inherently or more
sinful
about the arts than other areas of human activity.
The Old Testament
The Old Testament is rich with examples which confirm the artistic dimension.
Exodus 25 shows
that
God commanded beautiful architecture, along with other forms of art
(metalwork, clothing
design,
tapestry, etc.) in the building of the tabernacle and eventually the
temple. Here we find
something
unique in history art works conceived and designed by the infinite God,
then transmitted
to
and executed by His human apprentices!
Poetry is another evidence of God's love for beauty. A large portion
of the Old Testament,
including
Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, portions of the prophets,
and Job
contain
poetry. Since God inspired the very words of Scripture, it logically
follows that He inspired
the
poetical form in such passages.
Music and dance are often found in the Bible. In Exodus 15 the children
of Israel celebrated
God's
Red Sea victory over the Egyptians with singing, dancing, and the playing
of instruments. In
1
Chronicles 23:5 we find musicians in the temple, their instruments specifically
made by King
David
for praising God. And we should remember that the lyrical poetry of
the Psalms was first
intended
to be sung.
The New Testament
The New Testament also includes artistic insights. The most obvious
is the example of Jesus
Himself.
First of all, He was by trade a carpenter, a skilled craftsman (Mark
6:3). Secondly, His
teachings
are full of examples which reveal His sensitivity to the beauty all
around: the fox, the
bird
nest, the lily, the sparrow and dove, the glowering skies, a vine, a
mustard seed. Jesus was
also
a master story-teller. He readily made use of His own cultural setting
to impart His message,
and
sometimes quite dramatically. Many of the parables were fictional stories,
but they were
nevertheless
used to teach spiritual truths via the imagination.
We should also remember that the entire Bible is not only revelation,
it is itself a work of art. And
this
work of art "has been the single greatest influence on art. It sheds
more light upon the
creative
process and the use of the arts than any other source, because in it
are found the great
truths
about man as well as God that are the wellsprings of art."(4)
Evaluating Art
Can the Bible help us evaluate art? Consider the concepts found in Philippians
4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever
is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if
there is any
excellence and ifanything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these
things.
Let's concentrate for a few moments on this verse in order to see if
it might at least provide the
beginning
of a framework for the evaluation and enjoyment of art.
Paul begins with truth. When considering art the Christian is compelled
to ask, "Is this really
true?"
Does life genuinely operate in this fashion in light of God's revelation?
And Christians must
remember
that truth includes the negatives as well as the positives of reality.
The second word refers to the concept of honor or dignity. This can
refer to what we related
earlier
in this essay about the nature of man: we have dignity even though we
are sinful. This
gives
a basis, for example, to reject the statements in the work of the artist
Francis Bacon. Bacon
painted
half-truths. He presented deterioration and hopeless despair, but he
didn't present man's
honor
and dignity.
The third key to aesthetic comprehension has to do with the moral dimension--what
is right. Not
all
art makes a moral statement, but when it does Christians must deal with
it, not ignore it. For
example,
Picasso's painting, Guernica, is a powerful moral statement protesting
the bombing by
the
Germans of a town by that name just prior to World War II. Protesting
injustice is a cry for
justice.
Purity is the fourth concept. It also touches on the moral-- by contrasting
that which is innocent,
chaste,
and pure from that which is sordid, impure, and worldly. For instance,
one need not be a
professional
drama critic to identify and appreciate the fresh, innocent love of
Romeo and Juliet,
nor
to distinguish it from the erotic escapades of a Tom Jones.
While the first four concepts have dealt with facets of artistic statements,
the fifth focuses on
sheer
beauty: "Whatever is lovely." If there is little to evaluate morally
and rationally, we are still
free
to appreciate what is beautiful in art.
The sixth concept, that of good repute, gives us impetus to evaluate
the life and character of the
artist.
The less than exemplary lifestyle of an artist may somewhat tarnish
his artistic contribution,
but
it doesn't necessarily obliterate it. The greatest art is true, skillfully
expressed, imaginative, and
unencumbered
by the personal and emotional problems of its originators.
Excellence is yet another concept. It is a comparative term; it assumes
that something else is not
excellent.
The focus is on quality, which is worth much discussion. But one sure
sign of it is
craftsmanship:
technical mastery. Another sign is durability. Great art lasts.
The last concept is praise. Here we are concerned with the impact or
the effect of the art. Great
art
can have power and is therefore a forceful tool of communication. Herein
lies the "two- edged
swordness"
of art. It can encourage a culture to lofty heights, and it can help
bring a culture to
ruin.
Paul undergirds this meaty verse by stating that we should let our minds"dwell
on these
things,"
a reminder that Christianity thrives on intelligence, not ignorance
even in the artistic realm.
Thus it is my hope that we will pursue the artistic dimensions of our
lives with intelligence and
imagination.
The world needs to see and hear from Christians committed to art for
the glory of
God.
Copyright 1997 Probe Ministries International
Endnotes
1. C. Nolan Huizenga, "The Arts: A Bridge Between the Natural and Spiritual
Realms," in The Christian
Imagination,
ed. Leland Ryken (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1981), 70.
2. Nicholas Wolterstorff, Art in Action (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans,
1980), 4.
3. Ibid.
4. Frank E. Gaebelein, "Toward a Biblical View of Aesthetics," in The
Christian Imagination, ed. Leland
Ryken
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1981), 48-49.
About the Author
Jerry Solomon is the field ministries manager and "Mind Games" College
Prep coordinator of
Probe
Ministries. He received the B.A. summa cum laude in Bible and the M.A.
cum laude in
history
and theology from Criswell College. He has also attended the University
of North Texas,
Canal
Zone College, and Lebanon Valley College, Pennsylvania.
What is Probe?
Probe Ministries is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to reclaim
the primacy of Christian
thought
and values in Western culture through media, education, and literature.
In seeking to
accomplish
this mission, Probe provides perspective on the integration of the academic
disciplines
and
historic Christianity.
In addition, Probe acts as a clearing house, communicating the results
of its research to the church
and
society at large.
Further information about Probe's materials and ministry may be obtained
by writing to:
Probe Ministries
1900 Firman Drive, Suite 100
Richardson, TX 75081
(972) 480-0240 FAX(972) 644-9664
info@probe.org
www.probe.org
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