Christianity & Creativity
by Jacob Hess
Part 3: The Christian Consumer of Art
Responsibility
Last week we dealt with the Christian artist’s responsibility in the realm of aesthetics, but today let’s wrestle with our responsibility as consumers of art.
Let me be clear from the start. When I say that Christians have a responsibility as consumers of art, I don’t mean that Christians should reject all things that or non-Christian; this isn’t about not watching R-rated movies! As followers of Christ, we do have responsibilities in the realm of art and creativity, but it goes much deeper than the rating of the material.
Enjoyment
The first thing we are called to do is to enjoy art for the sake of its creativity.[10] God makes beautiful things right (sunsets anyone)? Since God makes beautiful things, we should appreciate the beautiful works people create, Christian or not. We are called to enjoy art as a work of creativity in and of itself, seeing it as a reflection of the Creator God.[11] Yet, we must also bring the gospel to bear upon the art we engage with. We should come to art thoughtfully[12] and interpret it “in light of the gospel,”[13] asking how the content[14] either contradicts or points to the truth of the grace of God in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1:4), or possibly does both at the same time. Just because a movie, book, or painting has a message that you don’t agree with does not mean that you can’t enjoy the innate creativity of the work. In fact, as Christians, we should appreciate all of the artwork we engage with and find redemptive ways to join in on the conversation between artist and audience.
We’re missing out if we just turn our noses up and refuse to engage, and the rest of the world is missing out too.
Conviction
I feel I should make one final point here. While I believe the gospel can be found in almost any piece of artwork, I also believe–as Christians engaging with the arts thoughtfully[15]–there may be times, or certain pieces of art, that you do not feel comfortable viewing or listening to. Paul writes in Philippians 4:8,
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”
Paul was aware of the importance of keeping one’s mind clear and focused on the things of God. It is true that the things that we watch, listen to, or view can have an effect on us, sometimes an effect that is far greater than we are aware of. Mike Cosper brings out this reality when he talks about the forming effects of TV and movies. He writes, “What we do is driven by who we are, by the kind of person we have become. And that shaping of our character is, to a great extent, the effect of the stories that have captivated us.”[16] Paul writes to the Philippians and tells them that they should be captivated by the pure and lovely gospel of Christ, and so should we. Therefore, I think Christians would do well to draw up boundaries when it comes to engaging with art, though one person’s boundaries very well may differ from another’s. However, at the same time, I believe that there should be no fear involved in our engagement with the arts. I agree with Cosper that, “While our stories are indeed shaping our hearts and imaginations, they cannot do any permanent damage to those who are in Christ.”[17]
In and through Christ by the Spirit we are grafted into “the bigger story that God is telling”[18] and nothing can overcome “the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 8:39)
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Jacob Hess is the Music and Media Minister of The Hallows Church, husband to Alexa and author of the book “The Bright Abyss.” (I, George San Miguel, added the link to his book. Everyone should check it out!)
[1] Bret, Lott. Letters & Life: On Being a Writer, on Being a Christian. 42.
[2] Mike, Cosper. The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth. 23.
[3] Bret, Lott. Letters & Life: On Being a Writer, on Being a Christian. 84
[4] Francis A., Schaeffer. Art & the Bible: Two Essays. Revised ed. 75.
[5] Ibid., 51.
[6] Mike, Cosper. The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth. 214. [7] Bret, Lott. Letters & Life: On Being a Writer, on Being a Christian. 42.
[8] Francis A., Schaeffer. Art & the Bible: Two Essays. Revised ed. 51.
[9] Ibid., 94.
[10] Ibid., 51.
[11] Francis A., Schaeffer. Art & the Bible: Two Essays. Revised ed. 51.
[12] Mike, Cosper. The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth. 53. [13] Ibid., 214.
[14] Francis A., Schaeffer. Art & the Bible: Two Essays. Revised ed. 64.
[15] Mike, Cosper. The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth. 53. [16] Mike, Cosper. The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth. 18. [17] Ibid., 52. [18] Ibid., 23.