A Christian View of Art
Did Christ come to redeem our soul and our body?
This question holds within its answer the key to understanding art. I was a little skeptical at first, but you know what they say, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get."
Working through the book of Exodus in the weekly sermon, we have talked about such "odd" topics as furniture, fund raising, God's wedding, and today the lies of Thomas Kincade - that might be putting it a little strong, but if you don't like it, smoke it.
So back to the original question, Christ obviously came to redeem our soul AND our body. This carries with it a host of implications. Looking at redemption with an eye towards art, we can see that things we do with our body do carry spiritual significance. So if Christ redeemed our body, acts done with our body are spiritual; and, art is done with our body. So how then are we to look at art? Does the Bible say anything about art?
The second commandment says "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:4) Burn the Mona Lisa and repent!
Or read further on in Exodus, specifically ch. 25. There we find that God gives Moses instructions to: 1) build the mercy seat with sculptures of Cherubim (i.e. things in heaven above) and 2) build the lampstand such that it represents an almond tree (i.e. things in earth below.) Hold on to Mona Lisa.
Representational art - art that represents something - is commanded by God. Not only that, but unrealistic art - art that represents something that doesn't exist - is commanded by God as well. Take, for example, when he commanded that the Priestly garments have blue, purple, and scarlet pomegranets (Ex. 28:33). Pomegranets aren't purple.
The point of all this being that God has commanded us to make beautiful things and these beautiful things are art. Art was used extensively in the worship of God, and extravagant art at that (~ $430,000 just in the materials for 1 lampstand!).
So the Christian view of art is one that thoroughly embraces art and beauty.
Interestingly, the beautiful things God commanded be made for His earthly dwelling were extravegant, but used to point men to himself. Our Lord is beautiful and beautiful things point us to him. If God is beautiful, if He loves beauty, then so must we.
Yet, denying Christ the Lordship of all, we have become what may be called Christian Philistines. Philistines meaning, according to Webster, "a person as regarded as smugly narrow and conventional in his views and tastes, lacking in and indifferent to cultual and asethetic values."
So what do we do? First, we must repent of being cultural Philistines and acknowledge that this is contrary even to God's very nature. Then ask God to teach us to love beauty and to recognize beauty. Finally we must begin to invest in beauty, it is expensive! (As with all things, it must be in moderation because the excessive pursuit of beauty turns ugly.)
God has redeemed our soul and our body. This leads us to understand that we must seek to love, appreciate, and create works of beauty. Indeed it is because we are made in the image of God that we can produce beauty. None of the animals have this glorious gift.
To the glory and enjoyment of God!
This question holds within its answer the key to understanding art. I was a little skeptical at first, but you know what they say, "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get."
Working through the book of Exodus in the weekly sermon, we have talked about such "odd" topics as furniture, fund raising, God's wedding, and today the lies of Thomas Kincade - that might be putting it a little strong, but if you don't like it, smoke it.
So back to the original question, Christ obviously came to redeem our soul AND our body. This carries with it a host of implications. Looking at redemption with an eye towards art, we can see that things we do with our body do carry spiritual significance. So if Christ redeemed our body, acts done with our body are spiritual; and, art is done with our body. So how then are we to look at art? Does the Bible say anything about art?
The second commandment says "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:4) Burn the Mona Lisa and repent!
Or read further on in Exodus, specifically ch. 25. There we find that God gives Moses instructions to: 1) build the mercy seat with sculptures of Cherubim (i.e. things in heaven above) and 2) build the lampstand such that it represents an almond tree (i.e. things in earth below.) Hold on to Mona Lisa.
Representational art - art that represents something - is commanded by God. Not only that, but unrealistic art - art that represents something that doesn't exist - is commanded by God as well. Take, for example, when he commanded that the Priestly garments have blue, purple, and scarlet pomegranets (Ex. 28:33). Pomegranets aren't purple.
The point of all this being that God has commanded us to make beautiful things and these beautiful things are art. Art was used extensively in the worship of God, and extravagant art at that (~ $430,000 just in the materials for 1 lampstand!).
So the Christian view of art is one that thoroughly embraces art and beauty.
Interestingly, the beautiful things God commanded be made for His earthly dwelling were extravegant, but used to point men to himself. Our Lord is beautiful and beautiful things point us to him. If God is beautiful, if He loves beauty, then so must we.
Yet, denying Christ the Lordship of all, we have become what may be called Christian Philistines. Philistines meaning, according to Webster, "a person as regarded as smugly narrow and conventional in his views and tastes, lacking in and indifferent to cultual and asethetic values."
So what do we do? First, we must repent of being cultural Philistines and acknowledge that this is contrary even to God's very nature. Then ask God to teach us to love beauty and to recognize beauty. Finally we must begin to invest in beauty, it is expensive! (As with all things, it must be in moderation because the excessive pursuit of beauty turns ugly.)
God has redeemed our soul and our body. This leads us to understand that we must seek to love, appreciate, and create works of beauty. Indeed it is because we are made in the image of God that we can produce beauty. None of the animals have this glorious gift.
To the glory and enjoyment of God!
posted by Charlie at 8:26 PM
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