To be honest, the title of this blog post pretty much describes how I feel being an artist within the evangelical church. In my experience, artists tend to live on the fringes of societal norms due in part to seeing the world in a different way but when you add faith into the mix it can further cause the artist of faith to feel even more isolated and without a community that really understands or appreciates their often unique vision and ‘take’ on the world. Interestingly, the first person in scripture to have the Holy Spirit bestowed upon them was Bezalel, the head artisan of the Tabernacle. (Here’s a blog post with some interesting information about Bazalel- The Importance of Art: The Story of Bezalel (Exodus 31:1-10) by Matt from the blog The Left Hand of Ehud)
Navigating the Dual Identity: Embracing Artistry and Faith in Conversation
This topic has been an ongoing conversation between my husband and me for a number of years. Over time, I have observed what happens when my husband has been asked what he does and the responses typically go like this “Oh….you are an artist. How interesting…” And then…an awkward change of topic generally ensues. Immediately.
I’ve watched my very laid-back husband just roll with the conversation. He doesn’t get perturbed when the essence of his being is dismissed, albeit unintentionally. Over the years, he’s even stopped saying he’s an artist (which I chide him about), I think because he’s been around long enough to have learned that it’s a ticket to “no-wheres-ville” in most conversations. Now, he says he’s a Professor of Art. People seem to identify a little more with that descriptor. If people hang around over time and discuss much with my husband they can’t help but be drawn into a conversation about art at some point. It’s his life. He lives and breathes art, and to ‘get’ him, one must have an understanding of what is important to him at his core and the top two things are matters of art and faith.
In recent years, I’ve found myself joining him in the vocation of the artist. Now it’s not just about watching my husband navigate the question of “What do you do?”, now I have to navigate it as well. I sort of preferred him being in the ‘hot seat’, to be honest; it was more fun being an observer. : )
Why do people seem to be so uncomfortable around art and artists?
I have a few suspicions. Among them, I think the genesis, in the evangelical church at least, may have roots as far back as the era of the Reformation Iconoclasts. I think there came to be a fear of esteeming created work too highly, and due to the destruction of so many religious works of art, there came to be a dissonance, or dissociation, with art and therefore with the creators of art.
I also think that as a part of that heritage, we have come to devalue beauty in its various forms. Perhaps this is because we have simply forgotten how important participating in and receiving beauty is to our overall sense of well-being. There is a reason why home renovation and décor shows are a hit these days – people crave beauty and want to surround themselves with it. In my opinion, it’s an unconscious nod to something people can’t quite put their finger on.
I have seen several articles lately that discuss how the church can support artists. I’ll link a few at the bottom. In my opinion, two of the best ways the church can support artists is to have art be a topic of conversation by bringing in those knowledgeable on the subject who can facilitate conversation, but also for the church to actually purchase a few competently done pieces of artwork and have them permanently displayed on-site. Providing shows for artists and their work in properly lit spaces is also nice and very much appreciated. Additionally, it can be a great outreach to the community.
Where Beauty and Belief Converge: Exploring the Role of Art in Worship Spaces
As an artist searching for a church, I can get a fairly immediate sense of whether or not a church values art (and therefore me, as an artist) through a short tour of their lobby and sanctuary. Churches that are void of elements of beauty do not hold much appeal for me in a very physical sense; they feel uncomfortable and more like stopovers on the way to…somewhere else. I don’t think I am alone in this feeling, nor do I think it is only artists who feel this way. The more a place feels like “home”, by acknowledging beauty and the creative process which are a large part of who I am, the more I am able to participate, not just in body, but at my core, the place where I live deep down inside. The places people don’t ask about.
Over the years we have lamented conversed about the lack of beauty that is present in many churches we have attended. They tend to have a somewhat sterile feel, almost as if they are E.R.s for the spiritually minded, certainly not a place to worship the very Creator of all that is beautiful. I think values have shifted towards the more pragmatic and with it a very utilitarian look in architecture and church décor has been adopted. Beauty has been killed. Life is messy and we bring that mess to the altar, but beauty dwelling around that altar lifts the spirits and helps to impart peace which can open the door for hope.
Building Bridges between Artists and Audiences
It’s ok if one doesn’t ‘get’ art, but I think there are many more appreciators of art in the world than detractors. I think many feel in some respect that they are not qualified to speak about art, in one way or another, which results in the seeming unintended dismissal of the very subject and through that the dismissal of a whole segment of society. Let us artists know if our work evokes any emotion within you, let us know what you see, what you like, and even what you don’t ‘get’. In doing so, you will learn a little about us, and we might, too. : )
Remember, what we create is a reflection of us and often a form of personal worship for the artist of faith, not worship of the object or the thoughts behind its creation, but of the One who willed all things, even the beautiful, into being.
A few links on the topic:
How To Discourage Artists in the Church by Philip G. Rykin President of Wheaton College in Illinois and author of Art for God’s Sake
Art and Church: The Missing Link by Manuel Luz Worship Pastor at Oak Hills Church in Folsom, CA and author of Imagine That: Discovering Your Unique Role as a Christian Artist “The church still really doesn’t know what to do with most artists.”
81 Things You Can Do To Be A More Artist Friendly Church by Manuel Luz
This essay is from our Anastasis Series where we resurrect articles from the past that are either still relevant today or can be easily updated. This piece was first published on January 24, 2014, and has been lightly edited and updated.
About Post Author
This post summarises Christian contributions to modern art and popular music as a way of flagging up the value of those contributions – https://joninbetween.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/a-rough-guide-to-christian-art.html. commission4mission (https://www.commission4mission.org/) is an organisation encouraging churches to purchase and display artworks.
Thank you for the information, Jonathan. :)
Great article, Pamela!
Here’s a couple thoughts from my perspective as an agnostic (or whatever I am haha). And, as usual, I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE that I probably have no idea what the heck I’m talking about!
When you ask “Why do people seem to be so uncomfortable around art and artists?”, I’ll assume you mean for the question to actually be ” Why do people seem to be so uncomfortable around CHRISTIAN art and CHRISTIAN artists?
I think most people perceive artists, whether it’s true or not, to be people that are “rebels”, so to speak. People that operate outside the normal boundaries. They go at their own pace and march to the beat of their own drummer. At the same time most people, (again, true or not) probably perceive [insert faith of choice here] to be “followers”. These are people that congregate on a regular schedule, they follow a certain belief system, typically don’t question authority figures etc etc. So when people meet a Christian artist such as yourself or your husband, it kinda contradicts with everything they’ve learned about how “people are suppose to be”.
Moving on to the sparsity of churches;
One thing I’ve noticed about various faiths is that there is very little faith in humanity. Specifically, humans. Now that is all based on very good reason! Humans suck! We suck it hard! More than half the time we probably don’t deserve the moniker “human”. We do horrible things to each other as individuals and as societies. We rarely have the correct answer, and RARELY can we collectively pull our heads outta our @$$es to get anything done together. And I just wonder if the lack of art in churches is because art is such a HUMAN expression? See where I’m going with that?
But than again, I’ll probably have to re-direct you to my earlier statement that I probably don’t know what the heck I am talking about because A) I’ve probably been inside fewer than 5 churches my entire life; B) Lots and lots and lots of old churches in Europe are VEEEERY artistic in their appearance. Everything from painted ceilings, the architecture, and statues. OH! And let’s not forget about stained glass! And C) um… well… there was a “C”, and now I can’t remember what “C” was!
Thank you, Jim. :)
Actually, I was meaning all artists, artists both secular or of faith. There seems to be a barrier overall. Is it because artists are viewed as unapproachable? As if not the artist, but the topic (art) that people seem to be uncomfortable with? It might be that because humans tend to prefer their neat little boxes, whereas artists typically are the ones picking up the boxes, shaking them, UNpacking them and trying to peer inside. ;)
You bring up a good point about perceived ‘rebels’ and ‘followers’ and how others might try to categorize an artist of faith in their head and hit an internal conflict of sorts because we may not fit neatly into either category which conflicts with the desire to have people ‘figured out’. I do think there is certainly an element of marching to our own beat, but I don’t think it’s rebellion for most of us, but rather a manifestation that we are comfortable in our own skin and we are ok being who we are whether others grant their approval or not. I rather appreciate that freedom.
I hear you about humanity, trust me. Hmmmm- art as a human expression which causes us to look more on the human plane and acknowledge each other and our joint condition (a sorry one) rather than heavenwards. That’s in interesting thing to ponder. Life is messy and I do think many try very hard to avoid it’s messiness. I, personally, don’t think it’s a very productive way to live.
The churches and cathedrals of old mesmerize me. I tend to view them as monuments of faith,sort of like the memorial stones the nation of Israel placed in centuries past. They are gorgeous and massive works of art that benefited the whole of society. If you never went inside one, you could still enjoy it’s beauty from the outside and it helped to add beauty to the city. If you ventured inside, there was even more beauty to see in the wood carving, sunlight spilling through the stained glass, the rich fabrics, etc.
I always appreciate hearing what others think on a subject and I appreciate your input here, even if you think you may be less ‘qualified’ because you have little experience in a community of faith.
” a manifestation that we are comfortable in our own skin and we are ok being who we are whether others grant their approval or not. I rather appreciate that freedom.” BRILLIANT!
Would you consider joining the Orthodox church? The historical church. One of the main concepts is to bring Heaven down to Earth visually by depicting Christ and the saints and angels and scenes from the Gospels on the walls of the Church. Beauty is everywhere, in this visual art and music, in the old traditions, in the light of the candles and the smell of the incense. I am an artist and iconographer, inspired by the manuscript illuminations and icons, by the spiritual symbolism of the Holy Scripture and prayers. God led me to dedicate my life now in the area of sacred arts and people really appreciate art. There are plenty of opportunities to share your art – Christmas church bazaars, Art festivals, church galleries.
Though the Orthodox Church isn’t the best for me, I can certainly appreciate the positive stimulation an artist of faith might receive through such a venue so rich in sensory input. I grew up in a faith tradition that placed little emphasis on beauty or visuals (which seems so uncharacteristic of God, to me) and have since moved to a tradition with a greater emphasis on visual expressions of worship, among other things. It’s been very nice to feel ministered to through all my senses.
Yes, I say that the Protestsnt church has waged a 500 year war of iconoclastic terrorism against the Arts.
I don’t think I can find room to disagree with much in your statement. It seems to me that because the Protestant church has for so long distanced itself from art, it has, as a result, lost the ability to interact with imagery and thereby artists in a meaningful way.
Ah, but were you watching the coronation of King Charles in the Anglican ceremony at Westminster Abbey? No one would have thought to comment on the absence of art, sculpture, or beauty in what the King vowed to uphold as the Protestant Reformed church.