Today "the arts" is a term that captures the imagination of many in evangelical circles. If you want to be hip and relevant as you cast your ministry vision, you must talk about the arts. The problem, however, with all this talk about "the arts" is that it's difficult to contribute intelligently to the discussion if one lacks thorough understanding and expertise of the subject. For evangelicals, it is not so much a matter of personal acquaintance or preparation, but rather of cultural insensitivity that at times verges towards naiveté. Broadly speaking, the evangelical culture has been largely shaped by a suspicious attitude towards the arts, investing more on efficacy than aesthetics, trying to reach results rather than beauty, and aiming at the mind rather than inspiring the imagination continue

A few weeks ago I learned the distressing news that a couple I know is divorcing; the husband has pursued pornography, and beyond, for a decade.  His sin has not only ravaged his wife's life, but in violating that covenant... continue

Recently, I had occasion to fly to Korea via San Francisco. Flying across the US on a clear day is one of those rare pleasures which really allows you to get the geographical measure of the place: how flat... continue

Nearly a decade ago now, Lisa and I went to visit an art exhibit at a private gallery on Manhattan. I had recently become acquainted with the Japanese-American artist Makoto Fujimura, and I wanted to see his work for myself.... continue

I have quite a collection of books on the arts from a Christian perspective, but I was so eager for Dr. Ryken's new book, that I have had it on backorder since last December. The subtitle of the book... continue

He taught me how to see. Quite literally. Once our dear friend Hans Rookmaaker was visiting us in Connecticut, and as we drove around in our car he would tell us to pause in front of a certain building. "This... continue

At the risk of being labeled a musical snob, I venture a comment or two on one of the twentieth century's greatest composers, the centenary of whose birth we celebrate this year--Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975). He is to music... continue

 Carrying biblical overtones and set in the rural Iowa town of Gilead, Marilynne Robinson's second novel is the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction--and with good reason. In a spare prose that rings with psychological realism and... continue

As I've been reading through G.K. Chesterton's book Heretics, I was interested to happen upon his treatment of dogmatism and the arts. Reflecting on his consideration of the life and work of Rudyard Kipling, Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells, Chesterton... continue

In Art and the Bible, Francis Schaeffer offered four necessary categories that we need to consider if we are seeking to adequately critique a work of art. He wrote: "What kind of judgment does one apply, then, to a work of... continue

At the risk of being labeled a musical snob, I venture a comment or two on one of the twentieth century's greatest composers, the centenary of whose birth we celebrate this year--Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 - 1975). He is to... continue

It's well known that Calvin frowned upon religious images in churches and the use of musical instruments to accompany singing in the corporate worship of God. Religious artwork in churches served, he believed, to distract worshipers from those "pictures" of... continue