catapult magazine

Read this and was amused at the level of doubt!

Christian art (if there is such a thing) does not automatically equal good art, a concept which so many churches fail to recognize but we seek to acknowledge by publishing a body of work with artistic integrity.

Mmm, I was wondering if it was only me, perhaps a lone Englishman and new member of cino too, that the doubt mentioned here is all pervasive in the cino-intellect, or am I being too analytical? Is this notion of doubt a product of a kind of cultural pessimism and our lack of ability to produce distinctive, communal Christian art? Is it all to personal, individualised, esoteric to have a cultural impact? Does it actually get out of the saltcellar? Why do we doubt that there is the possibility of a distinctive Christian art? Are we being conditioned to enter slumberland?

ZZZZZZ!

Geoff Hall

The kind of education that can happen in churches and schools is indeed helpful, but as you say, people learn good aesthetic sense from the people who practice good aesthetic sense in film, art galleries etc. I’ve been thinking more and more about how important it is to develop one’s taste if one is to be a good member of Christ’s community. Good taste seems to go hand in hand with one’s theological leanings and belief system. Someone who likes the fluff and candy of Christian Contemporary Music will most likely spout theological opinions that are escapist and sentimental and might not see the value in Scorcese’s “Last Temptation of Christ”. Why is that? Because of their overall worldview. But how did they come to that worldview? Through a certain SENSE of what’s good and lovely and beautiful that they’ve gained or chosen to accept. If we’re going to change people’s theological leanings, we have to work through their aesthetic sensibilities about goodness and beauty, badness and ugliness. Teaching people a communal aesthetic is not an extra lesson to be learned in school or church, then, but it’s the very core of a human being’s education.

Amen to all that Grant!

Part of this education thing must have to do with christian schools too!(?)

I don’t know much about American Church schools, do they have a distinctive christian view of what knowledge is all about, or are they just following the familiar patterns of teaching art, as a humanist school would do?

In England, it seems to me that christian (church) schools follow the same curriculum and teaching practises as the state schools, but try to make the (christian) difference in value added curriculum activities, like teaching citizenship, personal/social education and the like. I don’t know of any church school that actively pursues a different way of teaching their children nor holds a different view of knowledge.

When it comes to art, that is the least of their worries, because they can add a little Rembrandt to it, or some ecclesiastical art of the Renaissance and feel happy that something of a christian view has been put across, albeit subliminally! This has a lot to do with where the funding comes from, but I don’t think we get even halfway there, we’re just not distinctive enough educationally.

enough for now,

Geoff

Geoff,

I am a Christian High School art instructor. I want you and others who may view this board to know that there are a few of us out in the world of Christian Schooling that have worked very hard to teach art from a distinctive Christian perspective.

I want to emphasize that in my program I have developed a complete philosophy that can be “fleshed out” in the practice and procedure of the program. What I mean is that my Christian perspective is not just a “tack on” to a run of the mill secular or humanist art program. Instead my program contains a 3-step process that we (students and myself) go through in each unit as Christian artists. It is my continual goal and task to labor towards integrating (not adding a little here and a little there) an obvious Spiritual dynamic so that students will come out of my program not only knowing how to produce art physically and techincally, but to understand art from a distinctive Christian worldview.

I have provided my philosophy and procedure for you to view if you would like.

Let’s talk about the topic of Christian art education more.

Ron

http://www.scchs.com/Academics/Mr._VanDerPol/art.htm

I wasn’t able to open your link for some reason, but I’m glad to hear a Christian perspective is being applied in your classroom. How does this 3 Step Process deal with the process of art-making? In other words, do the questions you encourage your students to ask deal only with the content of the art work, or with the spirit of the day to day work of artistic production as well?

Grant,

Not sure what happened with the link. Let’s do this the old fashioned way. If you go to www.scchs.com and go to my art page under the pull down menu of academics, you can find my philosophy statement.

The 3-step Process of the Christian Artist whic I teach does talk to the areas of both the art making process as well as what kind of classsroom atmosphere is to be promoted. The 3 steps are:
Perception, Production, and Refelection. The Biblical appplications of each of these three are laid out in my philosophy. I hope to submit an article on this subject soon.

I would like you to respond to my classroom philosophy if possible.

rvdpwww.scchs.com