Art, Beauty and Christianity

[marks]

I think we Christians should create beautiful art that honors God. Otherwise, we abandon the art world to a culture that would celebrate meaninglessness, hopelessness, selfishness, and death.

Amen!!

 

[marks]

Well said!
I think a lot of people who do artwork in the churches are inspired and gifted. I love seeing all the imagery.
I imagine how lucky the people were back in Jerusalem 2000 years ago when they saw and heard Jesus in-person.

My sister took the opposite view. She studiously avoided any theatrical or other representation of Jesus, because she wanted her mental conception of Jesus to be formed exclusively from the Bible and her relationship with Him.

For myself, I'm more auditory, and it's the music which enraptures me. My sister's Baptist church was filled with much polished wood, and candles and plants, and some hangings, but not too must artistic. I really enjoyed being there. My church, before it ended, was plain, a converted commercial building. It's adornment was love, and it was such a beautiful place to be!

Much love!

 

[Mantis]

The stained glass can be beautiful, but there is a lot of catholic "art" that is downright evil.

These are just some examples. And there are a multitude of these, as well as nudity in catholic art. So I'm not a fan of catholic art...

Thats some creepy stuff there. That pope gargoyle takes the cake lol.

 

[Lambano]

Thats some creepy stuff there. That pope gargoyle takes the cake lol.

Given that the Pope is in the bend-over-and-grab-your-ankles posture, I suspect the artist was sending a political message to somebody. Wasn't it Hieronymus Bosch who was known to put his enemies in his paintings in unflattering positions?

The local garden center has gargoyles for sale. I was going to get one to warn off the squirrels from getting into the bird-feeder. My wife took one look at this hideous thing and gave me a two-word answer ending in "no!"

 

[quietthinker]

Thats some creepy stuff there. That pope gargoyle takes the cake lol.

Have we also put Jesus in the stained glass as a fixture?....very pretty but we can't pry him out. He stays there; that way we can control him.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Who needs man's art when we have God's....?

Masterpieces, every one.....

 

[quietthinker]

Who needs man's art when we have God's....?

Masterpieces, every one.....

heyyyyy.....just look at me! :)

 

[farouk]

Catholic churches seem to have a lot of craftsmanship everywhere.

@FluffyYellowDuck In the end, Christianity is more about cultivating the 'inner man', as Paul says to the Ephesians in chapter 3, right?

 

[Peruantaran]

I believe that every work of art comes from God. It doesn't matter whether the artist considers himself a believer, but inspiration can't be of earthly origin. Inspiration is a real invisible miracle that allows us to see or hear a masterpiece. I believe that God is not only in icons, He is in every picture that has ever been created in the world. Although, I'm still hesitant about how I should evaluate the art of people from other cultures. I recently found a site with the work of a Persian artist, and I was captivated by his technique. But he is far from Christianity, and I don't know if I have the right to say that I see in his paintings messages that my God sends me through the work of a representative of another faith.

 

[-Phil]

I once had the good fortune of invitation to a stringed quartet performance in a church over three hundred years old. As the unsuspecting foursome let loose thy wrath, crushingly alternating between a Bach composition & and a Beatle’s tune, the light poured through the rainbows, and nothing was, as it were.

Isn't God the greatest artist of all?

In deed.