King & Queen Sub-Creators

These are my notes from Jerram Barrs' talk on 'Christianity and the Arts'
(audio available via theologynetwork.org)

He says that the closer you look at God's creation (i.e through a microscope), you just see new layers of beauty and perfection, compared to imperfection in what we have created. He gives the example of polished steel (up close it would have flaws). He notes that we (Christians) are forbidden to be ascetics - to deny the value of creation. The value of creation is one reason that being an artist is valuable, and not less spiritual than another vocation. The mentality that art is an extra add on to serious work like evangelism is a heresy[?!].

''For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer''

'' And God saw that it was good''

So we must appreciate creation [although obviously this may not require art or artists]. We are called to be 'sub creators'. Psalm 8 - to be human is more glorious than anything else in creation. Revelation 21:24 - Kings will take glory (and cultures?) into heaven?

As we cannot create, all we can do is play with what god has given us [everything is play?]. 'Art needs no more justification than food or sex' - Rookmaaker. [Does this apply to institutional contemporary art?].

We are kings and Queens of earth, under God. We know we live in a broken world, and our calling as artists is to work against the fall, and to resist it. The (Christian) farmer makes food to feed people (rather than just to make money); this is their way of dealing with the fall.