Being the diligent Music & Arts Director that I am :) I read various Art Theology blogs. Some are so heady that it takes too long to digest what they are even saying.... so I give up pretty quickly and pretty often. But there is one blog, Transpositions, that has been more encouraging than others.... and a recent post got me thinking about our upcoming Easter Project. It proposes a simple frame work for engaging the arts theologically. (Read the entire blog post: Engaging the Arts: Craft, Content & Context)
In the post the authors bring up the ever-present division of artist/non-artists and contend that a basic framework of: Craft, Content & Context will not only help us tear down this division but also help all of us more effectively create & engage the arts. Here are two quotes that I found helpful:
One of the opportunities and challenges facing those at the intersection of theology and the arts is finding accessible and intelligible ways to understand and engage art theologically. For many, art is an elitist realm of heightened discourse, unintelligible imagery, and impractical usage. This opinion, however, is often based on a narrow conception of the arts, rather than viewing art as the result of human creativity expressed in both the fine arts and popular culture. Considered in this broader perspective, therefore, the arts are an essential mode of human expression, worthy of appreciation and enjoyment as well as philosophical and theological exploration.
...art involves a practiced craft, the communication of a narrative or certain perspective on the world, and the complex and ever-changing contexts of creators and receivers. Craft, content, and context exist in dynamic interplay in the production, reception, and engagement of art
I hope that you find this helpful when creating & engaging the arts. Try implementing this framework as you create & engage the Easter Project. If you enjoyed this blog post, be sure that join the "Arts Collective Group" in Cobblestone (our online community) where we will be discussing topics like this quite frequently. Click HERE to join!
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