Article: REDEEMING THE ARTS

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by Colin Harbinson

When Churches embrace a Biblical view of the arts as a God-given integral part of life, then art and
worship are allowed to form a unified experience. However, it is to the detriment of the Church as a
whole, that it has not developed a coherent framework that validates, or encourages the arts. When
spiritual leaders fail to understand or relate to creative expression, Christians are often discouraged
from involvement in what is considered to be 'worldly' activity. It is encouraging to find artistic
expression flourishing within worshiping communities. This is significant, for worship is the only
effective safeguard against idolatry, a majordistortion in the arts.

To come to a fuller understanding of these issues, it is necessary to explore both the validity and the
danger of artistic involvement. It is also important to comprehend God's desire for cultural redemption
and the role of the church in this process.

Imago Dei
The Bible begins with the glorious statement; "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth."1 Stunning in its simplicity, yet profound in implication, this verse first introduces us to God as
the Creator, the original artist. He is the creative personality behind all things. Creativity is an
essential part of His divine nature.

On the sixth day, when He looked at the full body of His handiwork, He declared it to be "very
good!"2 God was His own critic, and He pronounced all aspects of His creation to be excellent. This
creative God made man and woman in His own image; "So God created man in His own image, in the
image of God He created Him: male and female He created them."3The outworking of the Imago Dei,
the image of God, has particular relevance in our understanding of man's creative nature. Abraham
Kuyper observed; " As image bearer of God, man possesses the ability both to create something
beautiful, and to delight in it."4

Culture Forming
This Hebraic-Christian vision of man the creator, made in the image of Creator God, formed the
ideological framework that resulted in the rich cultural legacy of Western civilization. In sharp
contrast, other religious worldviews have often seen the world as a static 'closed' system. Life is
perceived as a series of cycles, without beginning or end. The object is to get off the treadmill and
break out of the cycle through a process of birth, death and rebirth. There is no incentive to create
something new, for the ultimate goal is to find 'oneness' with what already exists.

The Biblical view sees God's creation as a dynamic 'open' system. Man is free to explore the new, to
be interactive with nature, to develop culture under God.

The end result of the injunction to "cultivate the earth and keep it,"5 is the development of culture. All
cultural expression is the product of its underlying religious belief system. Human beings were to
develop Godly cultural expressions, under the lordship of their creator. To this mandate was added
another clear responsibility. The injunction to "keep it," emphasized the importance of being a good
steward of God's gifts and resources. As Brian J. Walsh and J. Richard Middleton state; "To be a
cultural being is quite simply to be human."6

Aesthetic Appreciation
To understand the possibilities inherent in the culture-forming mandate, it is important to recognize
that function was not the only imperative. Knowing that the Creator was concerned with beauty, also
alerts us to the fact that God's perfect created world has both utilitarian and aesthetic properties.

When God placed man and woman in the garden of Eden, He made all kinds of trees to grow, "that
were pleasing to the eye and good for food."7 Later, God instructed Moses that the Tabernacle was to
be constructed with "artistic designs,"8 and detailed the design of Aaron's robes to reflect "glory and
beauty."9

There is a tendency for Christian dogma to undervalue the aesthetic side of life. This limited
appreciation of the value of the arts does little to reflect God's love of beauty. It also negates our high
calling to be a celebrative people, to His glory. In contrast, Old Testament worship modeled a more
integrated approach, in which "music, visual art and poetry converged in Temple worship to form a
unified artistic and spiritual experience."10

Danger of Idolatry
Another reason for ambivalence toward the aesthetic, is that Christianity is a faith based on the
"word." Boorstin correctly observes that; "Western religious traditions were wary of the seen, of the
image, and the Protestant Reformation built a theology on this suspicion of all images."11

Fear of "image" idolatry has robbed us of a great deal of our creative inheritance. However, concern
over this issue is not without foundation in history or present day reality. For example, soon after
Moses received the vision of art for glory and beauty while on the mountaintop, he discovered the
potential of art to become idolatrous. Aaron had listened to the people, and 'fashioned' a golden calf.
This sculpture was now the object of worship, and cause for music and dance. Worship of the created,
had replaced worship of the Creator.12

C.S.Lewis saw the ability of art to steal affection away from God, when he wrote; "Every poet and
musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from love of the thing he tells, to love of the telling .
. . "13 Art has the ability to draw our affection to itself. It is possible to love our artistic expressions,
more than we love God Himself.

Scripture records another example of the potential of art to fall into idolatrous use. 14 God instructed
Moses to fashion a 'bronze sculpture' of a serpent, in the likeness of the snakes that were biting and
killing the rebellious Israelites. This 'artwork' was put on a pole for all to see, and those who looked
upon it were healed, forgiven and restored. It was not the art itself that brought healing and
restoration, but God chose to work through this sculpture in a powerful way.

Many years later, Hezekiah discovered people worshiping and offering incense to the same work of art
that God so powerfully used in the wilderness. It had become an idol. The King took the bronze
sculpture, and in repentance smashed it to pieces.15

Cultural Redemption
If art has such a potential for idolatry, would it not be wise for the Church to avoid it altogether? In
response to this question, let us continue with the journey of the 'artwork' that began its existence in
the wilderness. In John,16 we find Jesus using this sculpture of the serpent on the pole, as a metaphor
of His own redemptive work. The obvious question arises about how Jesus could use something that
had become tarnished by idolatry, as a picture of His death on the cross. The answer points to a very
important principle that is at the heart of the redemption of all things. That is, when the sin issues are
dealt with in any area of life, that area can begin to be restored to God's original creational purpose.
Because of the repentant action of Hezekiah, Jesus could identify with the illustration of the bronze
serpent in its original created purpose, of forgiveness and restoration.

Redeeming Creator
Confusion over God's redemptive purposes, is to a large extent the result of an unbiblical "sacred-
secular" dichotomy of reality. When this dual worldview is embraced, there is a failure to line up our
thinking with the Psalmist when he declares; "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it." 17 There is,
however, the correct Biblical truth of the Holy and profane. The Hebrew words for Holy, speak of a
clean place morally and ceremonially. Words used for profane suggest woundedness, stain and
defilement. This points to the fact that the object, person, place or area of life to which the word
profane refers, has at some point been whole, unstained and undefiled.

The Hebraic term JHVH-Elohim, Redeeming Creator, beautifully articulates the meaning of Calvary.
God is in the process of redeeming all aspects of His creation. We are to work with Him in the ministry
of reconciliation He has given us.18

The arts are God's good gifts to us. They are not to be feared and avoided because they have become
"wounded and stained." We are to be involved with God in the reclamation process, so that the arts
will again reflect His
original creational purpose for them, of glory and beauty.

In his book, Eternity In Their Hearts,19 Missiologist Don Richardson develops this theme of cultural
redemption, within the context of tribal peoples. He sees in every culture, what he calls the
Melchizedek factor. That is, the God given redemptive aspects of His original creational intent.
Richardson also identifies what he calls the Sodom factor, the sinful perversion of certain aspects of
culture formation. The redemptive process involves the calling forth and affirmation of the Melchizedek
factors within a culture, and the recognition of, and repentance from the Sodom or distorted issues.

Artistic Reconciliation
The hallmark of truth is its universal application. When we talk of the redemption, reconciliation and
reclamation of the arts, the same principles apply. Sadly, the only thing many Christians see is the
Sodom or distortion factor in the arts. Because of this, the arts are relegated to Satan's domain, and
abandoned to their own woundedness. Many aspects of the arts have become sin-stained and
distorted. God wants the Church to be involved with Him in reversing this situation. This can begin,
when it is acknowledged that God is the creator and source of the arts. Only then can we seek to
discern the difference between the holy and profane manifestation of the gift. Calling forth and
affirmation are appropriate responses to the former,as are discernment and repentance to the latter.
Biblical reconciliation, means to 'bring into harmony' with God's original creational intent. When an
individual, culture or area of life is reconciled to God, it is brought into harmony with the principles of
His word. It should still, however, continue to own its individual and unique reflection, mirroring the
creative diversity of God, the original artist.

The Opposite Spirit

Cultural redemption and reconciliation involves the pulling down of sinful strongholds that have
influenced the arts. The spiritual principle of coming in the opposite spirit, illustrated by the scripture
"a gentle answer turns
away wrath,"20 is a key weapon of our warfare. We are not talking here about a reactionary approach
to sin. When such an attitude is taken, we allow legalism to inform our faith. Christianity is
subsequently defined in terms of what we 'don't' do. Coming in the opposite spirit is the Jesus style.
Satan's strategies are then counteracted, as appropriate spiritual responses render him powerless. In
this way, gentleness defeats anger and humility overcomes pride.As we apply this truth, the power of
sin is neutralized. This can be shown as we consider the distortion of idolatry in the arts. The opposite
of idolatry, isworship of God. If we are engaged in a lifestyle of worshiping the Creator, we will not
easily be tempted to idolatrous worship of the created.

Instruments Of Worship
Corporate worship, or any creative expression of worship, must emanate from the overflow of the
secret place. David's dancing before the ark, was surely the outworking of his demonstrative worship,
recorded in the Psalms. Creative expressions of worship do not readily emerge in a group context;
they are first developed as a lifestyle before the throne. A group of trained dancers wanted to use
their gift of movement in the service of proclamation and worship. Before being released by the Lord
to do this, they learned to use their bodies as instruments of worship. For one year, they practiced
dance technique in the mornings. In the afternoons they worshiped God individually and as a group,
with an emphasis on movement expression. This became such a natural attitude, that when they
eventually performed in public, they did so as an act of worship. As a result, audiences were drawn
into the presence of God.

God's Pleasure
A young man with an outstanding international ministry in music and worship leading, confessed
recently to a major breakthrough in his life. For years he struggled with the need for affirmation
following a worship service, or a concert performance. God showed him the root of this need. He had
never known approval from his father. More importantly, he had never really sensed the approval of
God, as he exercised his musical gift. From that moment on, he began each day by playing for his
Heavenly Father. His keyboard became a natural part of his worship. It wasn't long before he could
identify with Eric Liddell, the athlete in the film Chariots of Fire, who said that when he ran, he could
'feel God's pleasure.' It is only as worship, that our creative expression of the Imago Dei is freed to
find ultimate release and meaning before our Redeeming Creator, the source of all glory and beauty.