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Identity
The question of identity is interesting and strikes at the heart of our worldview. Is identity fixed and objective or dynamic and subject to change? Is it determined by outside forces or internal factors? In all of those cases, I would affirm the former; our identities do not precede our essence, rather, they are derived from our essence, which is in turn determined by Yahweh, the God of the Bible. As a result, my identity is primarily determined by my relationship with God. Am I made in His image or am I nothing but the spawn of monkeys and meaningless molecules? Am I at peace with Him through the blood of His Son or am I rebellious and reprobate? These questions are crucial and play a key role in defining our identity and actions. I am a Christian, created by God for His glory and bought with Christ's blood, and all of this has nothing to do with me; it is external, it is gloriously wrought upon me by the Father's sovereign will and applied to me through the work of the Holy Spirit. So as I approach art, which is an externalization of internal realities using the means that God has given, I must keep these distinctions in mind.
Art
“How can art be sufficiently meaningful? If it is offered up merely before men, then it does not have a sufficient integration point.” - Francis Schaeffer, Art and The Bible
Art, culture, and music all flow this theological and relational reality. As a result, our application of the elements and principles of art will reflect our identity and standing with God. All meaningful art is made in reference to God, the Artist who fashioned all things and from whom all creativity ultimately emanates (as the quote from Schaeffer above indicates). Art is foundational to us as image-bearers; it is a facility that we have that mere beasts do not. Art is also an expression of our God-given task of dominion. When a man takes material already created by God and shapes it into new and beautiful things, he is exercising dominion in a way that is unique to his humanity. The Fall distorted this aspect of human life in much the same way that it twisted everything else, leading men to use their artistic facilities for their own glory and fame, with negative reference to God. But Christ has come and died and risen to life again, redeeming us, and with us, our art. The Christian's art is made with positive reference to God, because a redeemed man seeks to glorify his Creator in the totality of his work, including his art. Christian art is intentional, rooted in reality, and directed not toward men but towards God.
Think here of the simple beauty of the Dutch masters, such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, or the ornate piety of Michelangelo. Christian art is ordered and beautiful, reflecting the God in whose image the artist is made. The Christian artist's principled use of balance and proportion and the elements of texture and perspective will come together to convey something about
the blood-bought world in which he lives. His work exists to either draw the viewer heavenward to behold the glories of the Creator, or to lead the viewer earthward to demonstrate the depravity and desperate need of man. Francis Schaeffer argues in his booklet, Art and the Bible, that there are major and minor themes in the Christian worldview, both of which are valid subjects for artistic expression and ought to be portrayed with skill and integrity (Art and the Bible, pp. 83-88). In other words, the Christian worldview furnishes the artist with all the categories necessary for producing art that reflects the world as it really is, as God has made it.
The unbeliever's art, on the other hand, will tend toward absurdity and rejection of the created order, a tendency reflected in the works of men such as Picasso and Duchamp. Their postmodern rejection of absolute truth is embodied in surreal and cluttered work that defies artistic convention and aims to provoke audiences with the vulgar and the nonsensical. Thus, the work of unbelievers grows increasingly disentangled from reality as the artist attempts to escape the world of God's making in favor of a fantasy born from their depraved minds. Ultimately, this artwork becomes an external expression of the rebellion and turmoil within the rebel artist's heart.
Culture
Whether people embrace the Triune God or the abyss of unbelief will doubtless shape culture as well. Cultural beliefs will be reflected in art, and conversely, the art will inform and shape the culture's beliefs in a game of spiritual tug-of-war. Will we build cathedrals or concentration camps (the final cultural expression of secularism)?
The dichotomy lies before western man, and it presents itself with urgency. Perhaps returning to a deeply rooted Christian paradigm in the world of art will lead our culture out of the secular darkness that has
enveloped it. Perhaps God will sovereignly move through the work of Christian artists to draw His elect to Himself, multiplying redemption and making His power known in the world. But all of this starts with individuals, and it starts with their identities. It starts, dear reader, with you. Where will you find your identity? In whom will you put your trust? A choice lies before you. Chose well.
Very eloquent. Seems like an imposter wrote this to a very sussy baka. Unfortunately he vented and ran into Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. They fought to see who became the ultimate troll. But thankfully Quandale Dingle broke up the fight, and they all went home.