Comments on: What is Christian Art?

By: kirsty

kirsty — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:07:41 +0000

Hi there,
Just to say I’ve found this blog really interesting and very useful as I have been pondering these things lately and your writing sums it up nicely. I agree that as artist the one thing we can aim for is to be true and that in doing that our faith and how we see the world and ultimately some of God will shine through whatever we create. It is not always easy and takes a certain amount of fearlessness but once we know what we are aiming for then that is half the battle.
Thanks

By: The Conflict of Christianity and Culture « Quadrivium

The Conflict of Christianity and Culture « Quadrivium — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:30:59 +0000

[...] with posts on a North Carolinian art museum, the value of fantasy literature, and the validity of “Christian” art. Sadly, as the last post demonstrates, modern evangelical Christianity is woefully out of touch [...]

By: Top Ten Posts for February, 2008 « Quadrivium

Top Ten Posts for February, 2008 « Quadrivium — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:31:39 +0000

[...] What is Christian Art?: Is there such a thing as “Christian” art and how does one recognize it? [...]

By: A.P. Sullivan

A.P. Sullivan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:39:07 +0000

I can’t believe I spelled studied wrong.

By: A.P. Sullivan

A.P. Sullivan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:38:18 +0000

Rachel,
Thanks so much for stopping by! What makes you think I didn’t think you’d read the article? I have full confidence in my students. Don’t ever be nervous about writing what you think. This, by the way, is what the article is all about- Christians truly creating from within themselves an artistic expression. This is what you have done. Don’t believe me? You used linguistics symbols of faces, and creating faces to mask ourselves. This is metaphor, this is art. Everything you said was true. I’m so proud of you and your new found interest in the arts. Nothing makes me happier than to hear (or read in this instance) a student say that since we studyed something, she’s been thinking about it. When I hear that, I can say, “Mission accomplished.”

By: mdhearn

mdhearn — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:12:35 +0000

I think Kathy makes a good point when she says all art is art if it is “generally true”. If I write a novel that has Christians in it or because it is written for a Christian audience I am not wrong in doing so. However, if I call it “Christian” and somehow change it to reflect what I think a Christian audience wants to see I have succombed, I think, to the pressure of our society to categorize everything. Modern commercialism and marketing likes to label every “product” in order to sell it. Maybe we do this subconsciously here in the 21st century. Again, what really matters is that we are truthful as we express who we are, who people are, who God is and how we see reality. Its OK to create art for a Christian audience, as long as its real. But I think its better to create art for any audience. Why not express oneself to anyone who will listen?

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:37:14 +0000

I bet you think that I would never read this or even think on it, but I did. I really like what you wrote. Since learning about art in our class it really caught my eye. Sometimes I think that Christian’s must put on a front. We go to school, work, even church, and we create these faces. Faces that define us, depending on where we are. Just like you said, Christ didn’t have to remind himself to be the Messiah. Being a Christian shouldn’t be a job, its a lifestyle, in which if you are an artist or not, should and can be reflected in many forms and fashions. Art is a way of expressing yourself. When Josh preached about or “consumer driven Christianity”, as he mentioned above as well, it is almost another way to “display” Christianity. Another way to catch the publics eye while at the same way disguising what being a Christian is really about.
Little nervous writing what i thought (being I’m not a scholar at this like some people).

By: Kathy Grimm

Kathy Grimm — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:40:10 +0000

I believe that to define something like art means that you attach to it what is generally true. This can be done, believe it or not.

1.) Art is always created and defined by people. (Creation is made by God. It exists apart or in harmony with human arts, but is not dependent on the existence of human arts)
2.) Art is always a form of language. (Language has repetition, symbolism, rules, and is informed by more than one person. Language can exist among very few people or many.)

These two points are always true of art no matter what groups or individuals produce it. Styles and cultures of artists speak to a variety of issues. As Christian artists, we speak to many topics. Some of these topics are literary, some about the Bible, some about our immediate culture, some about what we look forward to in a heavenly culture. Christian art reflects all of these aspects at different times. There is necessity in all of these topics of discussion in the arts of Christians. A healthy Christian artist’s community doesn’t leave out tradition or new ideas, but addresses all possibilities in order to share Christ in our lives with others.

By: A.P. Sullivan

A.P. Sullivan — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:50:49 +0000

There certainly is great beauty in both of those traditions. I wish that 21st century Christian would take note of its beauty and begin to imitate not its style but its value of aesthetics.
I think a primary reason the church has never developed a tradition of art is because of the doctrinal struggles throughout its history. Everytime we started something artistic, along comes some big heresy to deal with. I am being very general, of course.
Later, in the 20th century, there was a split between the modernists and the Biblicists. The Biblicists, in an effort to separate themselves from the appearance of “worldliness,” walled themselves in a subculture where artistic expression was all but forbidden (in some cases it was). Not until relatively recently have Bible believing Christians taken a keen interest in the artistic world outside of our subcultural superficial art. Thank God for progress!

By: Josh

Josh — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:05:13 +0000

Yeah. Gregorian chant is beautiful stuff. I’ve got a collection of it myself. Have you considered the visual arts of the Greek Orthodox tradition? Although I do not agree with some of the theological underpinnings surrounding it, it certainly is beautiful work.