In a letter to an editor, J.R.R. Tolkien explained that while there are similarities one can draw between the gospels and his work, his work was far more limited in its scope: The Incarnation of God is an infinitely greater thing than anything I would dare to write. Here I am only concerned with Death as … Continue reading Reject Despair; Embrace Folly
Category: Art
The Work Is Mysterious and Important
This is a review of a television show with a TV-MA rating because of profanity. Many Christians may feel like they ought not to watch media like this. Please abide by your conscience. If you aren’t sure about what content is permissible to consume, you can read this guide I wrote up, or this one from Brett McCracken. A … Continue reading The Work Is Mysterious and Important
12 Brief Thoughts on Church Buildings
The church is not a building but a people—but the church is a people who must gather. Thus, for a church to exist, it must have a location to gather in. And since meeting outdoors limits the gathering (weather, sound, distractions, etc.), this usually means some kind of building. More pragmatically, as many young church plants can … Continue reading 12 Brief Thoughts on Church Buildings
Art Explained: Augustinian Zeal
You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness. You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness. You were fragrant, and I drew in my breath and now pant after you. I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you. You touched me, and I am set on fire … Continue reading Art Explained: Augustinian Zeal
Art Explained: The Repentant Magdalene
Georges de La Tour (1593-1652) was a French Baroque painter best known for painting religious and genre scenes. Influenced by the work of Caravaggio, La Tour relied on the stark contrasts of light and dark (chiaroscuro). Unlike Caravaggio, who usually placed his source of light outside of the frame, La Tour placed it within, frequently … Continue reading Art Explained: The Repentant Magdalene
Art Explained: Crucifixion
The painting below, Charles Lutyen's Crucifixion, is one of the more jarring depictions of the death of Christ. The fear, pain, and utter bewilderment are powerfully etched on the faces of the mourners at Christ's feet. Not only are they witnessing the death of who they thought was their Messiah, but they are witnessing the death of … Continue reading Art Explained: Crucifixion
Entertaining Ourselves to Death: The Supersensorium
Does Art still matter today? In the vast tubes of the internet, I stumbled across this incredibly thought-provoking long-form essay, "Enter the Supersensorium: The Neuroscientific Case for Art in the Age of Netflix" by neuroscientist Erik Hoel. It is just over 7,000 words (about a 45-minute read), and wades into some dense neuroscientific jungles (gamma-aminobutyric … Continue reading Entertaining Ourselves to Death: The Supersensorium
What’s the Point of Beauty?
Art, beauty, aesthetics--these do not provide much for us in the way of utility and functionality, at least if we are thinking of those terms in their strictest of definitions. And yet, God seems to have filled our world with an abundance of beauty. We are naturally drawn to create art, to order our world … Continue reading What’s the Point of Beauty?
Bavinck on the Gift of Art
Art...is a wonderful gift from God. Just as the Lord Himself is not truth and holiness alone but also glory, and one who spreads the beauty of His name abroad over all His works, so it is He, too, who by His Spirit equips the artists with wisdom and understanding and knowledge in all manner … Continue reading Bavinck on the Gift of Art
Marc Sims 