Jon Green

I guess the topic is how does art relate to "the culture at large". Is the culture at large described by it's secularism? Is that what we're trying to do is relate to the secular world? Sounds great to me. Courtney says there is nothing original about putting a (Bible) verse to music. I get the idea then that it must be original or it won't work. The largest music listening culture in the United States and Canada is country western. Has been for years. It's so popular in Canada that some Canadians have a Texan accent. Originality appears to be the artist's goal and if they are original they have actually created art and that's great for people that love art. Especially those that are tired of looking at Mona Lisa or stomping out a line dance to the latest country song. So what should be original and why? The "culture at large" right now, both secular and Christian is old baby boomers. Life has eased up for them and they have time to reflect on life, eternal life, quality of character, perseverance through old age, etc..and they need Jesus and they like old standard music with words they can hear at a pace about half that of most rap songs. I get the idea that art and creativity is always pushing for something new and relative. The problem is the relative part...don't overestimate the culture or you will leave them behind. BUT !! You can be one heck of an artist! Then one day you too can be the major part of the "culture at large" in which you planted seeds of salvation. In the mean time the harvest is rich among the young people who are the minority of our culture that will soon be the leaders of the culture at large and we will need the mercy of younger and younger Christians serving the Lord. I think it wise to relate to the young where the harvest is ripe and even better to relate to the very young that are ripening in Sunday school.

I think Courtney is right in that art is not just about capturing just "holy" things abut reflects a larger culture and doing anything diffrent is not connecting with the audience and paying a disservice to God as the creator, as he did not make everything champagne and cotton candy.

If we are to create anything meaningful it must provoke thought and expression in either a new way or through a personal way to connect with the audience.

But withthe world the way it is these days, it seems that nothing is off limits when some things should be as they serve no purpose other than to evoke disgust and displeasure... should these things be aloud? Are these things ok just becasue we are christians or does God have a line that we cross if it is not glorifying to him... Better minds have debating these question than mine. has there been a definitive answer? Let me know if there was ;)

Art is the language of humanity and the turmoils of existence. The church has consciously and unconsciously tried to idealize existence and in doing so has alienated many from salvation. If we operate from a position of a sacred/secular split, then we will never be fully available to those we try to reach because that split won't disappear when we want to reach the other side.

The sacred/secular split is a traceable error in theology. We can see it's beginnings in the application of Neo-platonic, dualistic views of the heaven and earth, material and spiritual going back to Augustine (354-430 A.D.). To think that everything we do creatively must be in broad spiritual (and most frequently clichéd) strokes is a disservice to our creator and our culture, who we as believers and lights are responsible to.

At this point in history there is absolutely nothing original about painting a cross or putting a verse to music. While this may serve the believing body (and only some of them at that) it does nothing to speak the language of the culture at large. As creative beings, it is our responsibility to speak to the culture at large in their language as well as to the body (also in their language). This means engagement on many levels. Today these stakes are very high. One cannot expect to be taken seriously by paying lip service to the "secular". One should honestly be a part of what is going on and not sit on the "spiritual" side of the fence adopting the spectacle of society with the intention of briefly venturing out to "win souls" for Christ. People can see through religious posturing much better today than in previous generations. Evangelism through the arts must be willing to venture out and be active in the culture. The only way to honestly reach someone for Christ is to be present in their world rather than a tourist or an ephemeral advertisement for the church.

The secular/sacred split, in my view is one of the great errors in the history of Christianity. The current state of western culture must address this relic of our theological past for the church to maintain any kind of relevancy.