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Summary:
How can art enhance and enrich the Christian faith? What is the basis for a relationship between the church and visual imagery? Can the art world and the Protestant church be reconciled? Is art idolatry and vanity, or can it be used to strengthen the church? Grounded in historical and biblical research, William Dyrness offers students and scholars an intriguing, substantive look into the relationship between the church and the world of art.
Faith and art were not always discordant. According to Dyrness, Israel understood imagery and beauty as reflections of God's perfect order; likewise, early Christians used art to teach and inspire. However, the Protestant church abandoned visual arts and imagery during the Reformation in favor of the written word and has only recently begun to reexamine art's role in Christianity and worship. Dyrness affirms this renewal and argues that art, if reflecting the order and wholeness of the world God created, can and should play an important role in modern Christianity.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
Perspective
Customer Rating:
This book brings a whole new perspective to the table of Christianity and the arts. Dyrness is able to argue that such things are an essential part of Christian life, especially if we are to live holistically. I enjoyed it very much.
Phenominal Scholarly Overview
Customer Rating:
I really enjoyed how this book looked very practically at the arts and the evolution of them within the church. It gives not only a historical requirement to continue to press for more artistic use and involvement in the modern movement of the church, but also gives practical ways in which to do so. If you're involved in creative arts ministry in any capacity, you probably should read this book in order to get your berings.