Christian Art and Music
Brad Townsend
Drawing & Painting with a minor in Art History) before I became a believer.
I was and still am a figure painter (I prefer to work with nude models
in a classical style). When I became a believer, I thought long and hard
about what I was doing as far as my art was concerned. I was baptised into
a rather charismatic baptist church and was told by the deacons to stop
what I was doing: in fact they told me to stop painting entirely unless
I would only paint Christian art. When I asked them what they meant
they responded that Christian art had to be about Christ or other religious
subjects (kinda vague answer if you ask me, but these were conservative
south georgia businessmen who considered a good painting to be one that
matched your living room furniture.
Anyway... I have thought and prayed a great deal on the subject. I have
read many books as well by many members of the L'Abri Foundation... especially
Francis A. Schaeffer. He has a small book (more of a pamphlet) called
"Art in the Bible" that was most helpful to me.
There is certainly art that expresses christian themes and portrays
christian subject matter, but there is no such thing as christian art.
Human beings, I think, being made in the image of the creator of the universe
reflect in many ways the creative nature of God. The major difference
between human creators and God is that we have to have something to
create with, whereas God can create out of nothing.
Is a painting of a tree any less christian than a painting of Christ?
Both are reflecting part of Gods universe - so where is the difference?
There is certainly such a thing as "bad" art. I have even seen what I
would call "bad" christian art. But art in many ways is nothing more than
illustration -- illustration of Gods creation (our feelings and
interpretations of the world around us).
The bible is full of illustrations of sin and mans sinfullness. Sometimes
horrible stories are told in the bible to teach us lessons. Keeping this
in mind would you consider a painting showing sin to be bad? (Keep in mind
that it can be "bad" art, but is it bad because of the subject matter or
because of they way it was expressed).
I am sorry that my thoughts are not a bit more coherent (its early
saturday morning and I just got up and it's snowing). As a summary
I would suggest that as far as art is concerned, there is not such thing
as christian art or non-christian art. Any art in some way expressed the
brokeness of man because of the Fall. Paintings of Christ on the cross
express this as much as a painting of an abortion clinic scene or whatever.
I get a bit exasperated with christians who think that unless art (be it
song or painting or drama or whatever) is expressing exclusively christian
ideas that it is wrong or bad.
Well ... off to play in the snow.
Brad Townsend
G.J. McCaughan
> There is certainly art that expresses christian themes and portrays
> christian subject matter, but there is no such thing as christian art.
> Human beings, I think, being made in the image of the creator of the universe
> reflect in many ways the creative nature of God. The major difference
> between human creators and God is that we have to have something to
> create with, whereas God can create out of nothing.
> Is a painting of a tree any less christian than a painting of Christ?
> Both are reflecting part of Gods universe - so where is the difference?
Art can be intended for devotional use. If it includes words it can be
explicitly worshipful. I don't see any problem with describing such things
as "Christian art".
> The bible is full of illustrations of sin and mans sinfullness. Sometimes
> horrible stories are told in the bible to teach us lessons. Keeping this
> in mind would you consider a painting showing sin to be bad? (Keep in mind
> that it can be "bad" art, but is it bad because of the subject matter or
> because of they way it was expressed).
Depends, doesn't it... I am sure it would be possible to produce music or
paintings intended to glorify sin, or one kind or another. (I don't think
this is done as often as is sometimes supposed, or that it's as effective
as is sometimes supposed.) Such art wuold be bad; not because it included
a depiction of sin, though.
> I get a bit exasperated with christians who think that unless art (be it
> song or painting or drama or whatever) is expressing exclusively christian
> ideas that it is wrong or bad.
I absolutely agree. There is much wonderful art which is not at all explicitly
Christian, but was done to the glory of God. There is much wonderful art which
was not at all done to the glory of God, but I don't see why we can't still
appreciate and enjoy it. It's a bit like the stuff in Romans (and elsewhere)
about meat offered to idols and such.
--
Gareth McCaughan Dept. of Pure Mathematics & Mathematical Statistics,
gj...@cus.cam.ac.uk Cambridge University, England. [Research student]