oakleys.org.uk

Jam Cary’s post on Evangelicalism and Art is well worth reading.

Rough Table of Contents.

• Trends in modern, Western, conservative evangelicalism. Things that modern, Western, conservative evangelicalism has absorbed from various influences… Things which make modern, Western, conservative evangelicals suspicious of art.
• Quote: “As a result, of all of the above, Evangelicals will often find art, creativity and drama to be unnecessary, frivolous and vain; expensive and time-consuming; exclusive and alienating; crass and stereotypical; ambiguous; dangerous and subversive; emotionally manipulative.”
• But art is frequently all of these things. Then some well-picked examples of artistic creations that are precisely those things, and therefore that modern, Western, conservative evangelicals are likely to view with suspicion.

• But yet, look at God and his handiwork; look at the Bible. We find that he is a God who delights in beauty for the sake of his own glory (as opposed to beauty for beauty’s sake). Yet beauty can bring God glory.

Conclusion: “Is it at all possible that Evangelicals frequently get this area wrong? And even misunderstand the Bible?”

If that Table of Contents doesn’t make you want to read Jam’s post, I don’t know why not.

• Artists who aren’t persuaded by evangelicalism should read it to discover that it may be a caricature of evangelicalism that they don’t like.
• Evangelicals who aren’t persuaded by the potential of art to glorify God should read it to be healthily challenged.

• Evangelicals who are persuaded by the potential of art to glorify God should read it to see the arguments painted (deliberately mixed metaphors) at their most beautiful and rigorous.