Why are the arts ignored in the Christian church? It seems that they consider the arts as something of an afterthought, with little emphasis on creating/fostering high quality art.Even though beauty through artwork can be a very effective way of teaching others about our faith, it can also be difficult to properly implement. Churches want to ensure that Christian messages are clearly stated in artwork, for obvious reasons. This mentality, however, can prevent artists from effectively expressing themselves in their artworks. There is nothing in the Bible that prevents Christians from making the highest quality art possible. And yet, artists feel ignored or ostracized by the Church. Why is this the case? In this second article, I will attempt to provide a few reasons why this might be the case. I will also present some possible solutions to the problem.
Why do some Christians ignore artists?
There are several possible reasons for this. One possible reason is that Christians think that the main focus of art should be evangelizing to non-Christians. However, this causes the art to read like propaganda to a non-Christian. This prevents the art from having it’s intended purpose of evangelism. Who wants to be preached at when they read a book or watch a movie? Christian themes can and have been incorporated into art without preaching to the audience. As an example, J.R.R. Tolkien never intended his books to be taken as allegory. However, his Catholic beliefs infiltrated every part of his writings. This helped his books appeal to an audience of both Christians and non-Christians.
Ignoring difficult topics in Christian art
Why are arts often ignored in the Christian church? Another reason is that Christians worry that their faith can’t stand up to the difficult questions raised by adverse experiences. Christians often want everything to tie up perfectly, with little to no unresolved conflict at the end. This prevents much of Christian-based art from reflecting real-life experience. It also alienates both Christians and non-Christians who are struggling with those issues. Even the Bible itself doesn’t shy away from talking about the messier parts of life. Biblical characters struggled with depression and doubts about faith (the book of Jeremiah), committed sins such as adultery and murder ( 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 1-2), etc. Yet, you’d be hard-pressed to find Christian art that is comfortable with talking about these topics openly. Artworks that discuss these sorts of things openly are often very controversial among Christians (even if they’re made from a Christian perspective).
How can Christians appreciate artists more?
I don’t pretend to be able to fix this issue with one article. However, I do want to provide a few practical solutions for churches who want to value artists more. One option could be having a Bible study centered around great Christian music and art from the past. This would help interested parishioners learn more about high quality art. It would also help artists in that congregation gain inspiration from artwork from the past. Another idea would be incorporating high-quality works of art and music into the church buildings made by local Christian artists. These could include paintings, sculptures, or even worship songs written or arranged by congregants. I have also seen churches host concerts by local Christian musicians, or groups that perform works by Christians (such as orchestras or choirs).
Here’s a link to my previous article that discusses what good Christian artwork should look like: https://buzz.uni.edu/musiculturefaith/what-makes-good-christian-art/
My friend Ryanne Molinari discusses topics relating to Christian based artwork on her blog. https://ryannemolinari.com/
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