Notes and Memorable Quotes from...
By: Philip Graham Ryken
“It is always costly, in personal terms, to produce a work of art. Then, once the work is produced, it is sometimes undervalued. People fail to hear its message or appreciate its artistry. To be an artist is often to be misunderstood.” (pg. 8)
“All too often we settle for something that is functional, but not beautiful […] Ultimately this kind of art dishonors God because it is not in keeping with the truth and beauty of his character. It also undermines the church’s gospel message of salvation in Christ. Art has tremendous power to shape culture and touch the human heart. Its artifacts embody the ideas and desires of the coming generation. This means that what is happening in the arts today is prophetic of what will happen in our culture tomorrow. It also means that when Christians abandon the artistic community, we lose a significant opportunity to communicate Christ to our culture.” (pg. 14)
4 fundamental principles for a Christian theology of the arts (drawn from Exodus 31):
1) the artist’s call and gift come from God;
2) God loves all kinds of art;
3) God maintains high standards for goodness, truth, and beauty; and
4) Art is for the glory of God. (pg. 17-18)
Thoughts from Genesis 1:
“If the opening chapters of Genesis portray God as a creative artist, then it only stands to reason that the people he made in his image will also be artists.” (pg. 24)
“Even if our art must become an avocation rather than a vocation, it should still be pursued with deep joy and a strong sense of purpose.” (pg. 27)
3 kinds of visual art produced by Bezalel and Oholiab in Exodus 31:
1) Symbolic: “uses a physical form to stand for a spiritual reality.”
a. ark of the covenant//atonement
b. golden lampstand//light of God’s glory and grace
2) Representational: “imitates life by portraying a recognizable object from the physical universe.”
a. pomegranates on the robe of the high priest
3) Nonrepresentational/Abstract: “pure form”
a. colorful curtains in the Holy Place
3 Standards for Art:
1) Goodness: ethical & aesthetic
a. “the standards from artistic goodness come from creation itself […] it comes from God as a part of his general revelation.” (pg. 38-9)
2) Truth: true to nature and true to God’s nature
a. Creation: “celebrate the essential goodness of the world that has been made […] healthy realism.” (pg. 40)
b. Fall: “mourning the lost beauties of a fallen paradise. […] tragic sensibility,” (pg. 41).
c. Redemption: “the hope that has come into the world through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (pg. 41)
3) Beauty
“God is a great lover of beauty, as we can see from the collection of his work that hangs in the gallery of the universe. Form is as important to him as function.” (pg. 42)
“The problem with some modern and postmodern art is that it seeks to offer truth at the expense of beauty. It tells the truth only about ugliness and alienation, leaving out the beauty of creation and redemption.” (pg. 43)
“And now this good, true, and beautiful God says to us, in words that might well serve as a manifesto for Christianity and the arts: 'Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things' (Phil. 4:8). Although this verse has wider implications for the whole Christian life, at the very lease it outlines a set of ethical and aesthetic norms for the artist and for the art.” (pg. 44)
Themes of Christian Art (adapted from Francis Schaeffer):
- Minor Theme: the ugliness of sin
o “the lostness of humanity outside of Christ and the ‘defeated and sinful side to the Christian’s life.’” (pg. 44-5)
- Major Theme: the beauty of God’s grace in redemption
o “the grace of God that gives meaning and purpose to life.” (pg. 45)
How artists can avoid idolizing the arts/themselves:
1) “By acknowledging their artistic ability as a gift from God”
2) “by resisting any temptation to isolation and instead living in the Christian community”
3) “by offering their art in praise of God.” (pg. 49)
“Thus the true purpose of art is the same as the true purpose of anything: it is not for ourselves or for our own self-expression, but for the service of others and the glory of God. Or to put all of this another way, making art is an expression of our love—love for God and love for our neighbor.” (pg. 50)
The great American theologian Jonathan Edwards said, ‘All the beauty to be found throughout the whole creation, is but the reflection of the diffused beams of that Being who hath an infinite fullness of brightness and glory; God … is the foundation and fountain of all being and all beauty.’” (pg. 54)
“Our salvation is directed by a redemptive aesthetic. By this grace, one day the best of artists will take everything that has been disfigured by our depravity and transform us into people of beauty who will be a joy forever.” (pg. 57)
No comments:
Post a Comment