Art & the Christian - Part III

Art Appreciation
“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8

There are some things we can learn from this passage that will help us understand, and appreciate art in any form. It should be noted that you cannot turn your mind off when you view art. Movies are not merely entertainment, but teachers (for good or for bad).

“Whatever is TRUE…”Questions to ask yourself as you view the art”
What sort of statements is this art trying to make? Are there truth statements being made in it? Are these truth statements consistent with what really is true? What false statements are being made?

Example: Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love”. I think this is a powerful work of art because it displays the truth that Love is self-sacrifice. Often, music proclaim love as something you feel or experience (an example would be the Diamond Rio song “How Your Love Makes Me Feel”). Dylan however gives us this wonderful other-person-oriented view of love that sacrifices itself for the other person rather than focusing on personal wish fulfillment. Jesus agrees with Dylan when He says “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).”

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong


I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

“Whatever is honorable…”
Because man is created in the image of God, man has dignity. We cannot deny the creativeness of men, degrade the art of another, or dismiss someone as useless because of the One whose image they are made, including yourself. You have value because of God and the artist who create art in our culture have value because they have been created in the image of God. To dismiss art because we disagree with it is neither fair nor right. We need to find the truth in it and talk about why we disagree with it.
Example: American History X. This is a movie that was very hard to watch about the story of a Neo-Nazi white supremacist who sought to kill and show hate toward people of other races (particularly African-Americans). In the movie, he finds himself in jail and working alongside a black man in his daily duties. He also found himself being helped by his African-American high school principal (even though he is no longer in high school). For months he would have nothing to do with these people. However, over time he discovered the value of people and began having friendships with them. This is a beautiful picture of finding worth in people. I disagree with many aspects of that movie, but I recognize that the central theme is a good one. Men have value.

“Whatever is right…”Not all art makes a moral statement, but when it does Christians must deal with it, not ignore it. We must consider whether this system of morals is in line with what is true according to Scripture.
Example: Picasso's painting, Guernica, is a moral statement protesting the bombing by the Germans of a town by that name just prior to World War II. Protesting injustice is a cry for justice. We have to consider this and take into account what we believe.

“Whatever is pure…”Also touching on the moral ideal, “by contrasting that which is innocent, chaste, and pure from that which is sordid, impure, and worldly “
Example: The fresh and innocent love of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet up against the erotic lust of pornography.

“Whatever is lovely…”What is attractive? What is beautiful? This can be much more than simply physical, but how things are artistically put together.
Example: American Beauty: This movie is creatively and cleverly put together with its visual themes that help communicate the point of the story through roses, the plastic bags (if you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about), and the ordinary (Ricky finds beauty in the ordinary – then falls in love with the cleverly named Jane – plain Jane).

“Whatever is of good repute…”
In other words, does this have a good reputation. You can view something in terms of the person who created it as well as the use of the piece itself. The bad reputation of the artist does not, however, obliterate the value of the art itself if it expresses good and true things.
Example: Harry Potter Series. Many argue against it and say it is evil. We need to think about these things as we take in the art. I don’t think it is ever ok to dismiss the art based on the reputation it has, though. It should be understood in light of it, but not tossed aside because some disagree. I don’t think Harry Potter is evil, but I would be doing a disservice to the Christian community if I didn’t take that into consideration as I read the books.

“Whatever is excellent…”This is a term which implies that it is above or better than other things: qualitative. There is something to be said for the technical quality and the durability of the art. The old saying is “great art lasts”.
Example: Great Symphonies of Bach, Beethoven, or the Italian Art Songs that are still the classics after all this time. Somehow, I think these can be seen as qualitatively better than “Achy, Breaky Heart” by Mulletboy.

“Whatever is worthy of praise…”This refers to the effect that the art has on the culture, for good or for bad. The timeliness of art, or the expression of a particular truth for a particular time is something to consider. How it is received is also a very important concept.
Example: Rap has had profound impact on our culture. Its affects on contemporary African-American inner-city culture has been at times good, but often bad. Specifically, the way that Rap has been sited for its degradation of woman. The N.W.A was pointed out for teaching hatred of police. This art form had an impact on its society.

The Final Sum: 1 Thess. 5:21-22“test everything, hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
As Christians, we must look for the truth, the honor, and the morals in all art. The purity, the loveliness, the good reputation of all art and see the excellence and where it is worthy of praise.

Final Discussion
Do you see a danger in dividing things up into non-Christian/Christian in light of the idea that all Truth is God’s Truth?
What dangers do you see in trying to appreciate non-Christian art?
What dangers do you see in trying to appreciate Christian art?
Is art a worthy calling for a Christian?
In light of this information, what do you think about the division between Christian music and secular music that is pervasive in our society?
How are we to watch movies/theater/listen to music in light of this discussion?
Can art be an effective springboard to discuss the truth of God with others? How?