ARE WE A PEOPLE AT HALF TIME? - Leadership Network

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relationship to the creative arts. Our
response will to some degree determine
our effectiveness and relevance in future
ministry. Church history and recent
cultural changes give us a glimpse as to
why this is so important.
"...Music was to m extent still mptabk to
tFRnz [Puritans]. The other artsfared wurst...
the Calvinistic a d Puritan m mnts had
virtually IW appreciation fur the fine av ts... the
arts were in thlves wurldly, unholy and...
a C'vristian shId wer parhipate in them."
H.R. Rookmaaker
renowned Christian art historian
THE REFORMATION During the
Reformation, the link between artistic
and sacred was severed in the Protestant
church. Overzealous reformers,
attempting to purge the church of idols
and corrupt practices, destroyed
centuries of religious art. Some Puritans
ransacked cathedrals and destroyed
stained glass, paintings, tapestries and
even communion vessels. They
whitewashed artwork on the walls and
turned seating face forward in austere
school-like fashion. Singing and
instrumentation nearly ceased. Artists
were deemed sinful and worldly.
While singing and limited
instrumentation returned fairly rapidly,
other art forms were suspect and
scorned. The pervasive shunning of
artists and deep-seated distrust of arts
can still be seen today. There is a "tide
of distrust about creative efforts that
lurks around our Christian enclaves,"
states Howard G. Hendricks, chairman
of the Center for Christian Leadership
at Dallas Theological Seminary.
CREATING AN ALTERNATE
UNIVERSE Throughthe1g5o's,
mainstream culture and the church
shared similar Judeo-Christian values.
Then society entered a forty-year
period of unprecedented change.
Traditions were questioned and often
discarded. In reaction to cultural shdts,
Christians were urged to abstain from
movies, dance, Rock n' Roll and
performing or visual arts. Sermons were
preached and books written to
discourage involvement in secular arts.
As many frustrated Christians
withdrew from mainstream life, a
Christian subculture emerged.
The late Emmy Award-winning TV
producer, Bob Briner said, "In the arts,
entertainment, media, education, and
other culture-shaping venues ... the
church has abdicated its role as salt and
light.. .we have created a phenomenal
subculture with our own media ... our
subculture is healthy. It's the world that
needs help.. .instead of running from it,
we need to rush into it." However,
most of the church ran from culture
and abandoned culture-shaping arenas.
Church consultant Sally Morgenthaler
observed, "We are so imploded in our
own subculture that we are cut off from
the rest of culture." When Christian
artists ventured into mainstream, they
paid a painful price.
THE CROSSOVER PRICE Since
art was worldly and artists sinful,
Christians who "crossed over," meaning
their art reached into the world, found
themselves the subject of anger and
scorn. Instead of celebrating their
entering the secular arena, Christians
protested and even banned their work.
Amy Grant's crossing over angered
thousands. Her records were returned
and angry letters written. Inside the
church, it was equally difficult for
artistic believers. Musicians by the
thousands were squelched. Dancers
were discouraged. Actors were often
forbidden to enter that heathen world.
Sculptors had no place for their work.
Fiction writing was deemed worthless.
Painting was frowned upon. Many
artists abandoned their art or their faith.
ART OR FAITH Inthe 1960's,
Rookmaaker offered this prescient
observation, "As the younger
generation born and raised w i h these
circles comes to understand the
importance of the arts, all kinds of
problems and tensions arise.. .Many
have turned away from Chstianity or
more tragically, from Christ, as they
have come to feel that 8th
vital aspect
of human Me is outside religion or faith,
then somethmg basic must be defective
in the faith."
Dan is a musician and songwriter. He
found percussion, then absent in
church, added passion to music - but
he lived in an evangelical home in the
60's. His parents, armed with Christian
books on the evils of music with beat,
demanded his music be destroyed.
Forced to choose between art and faith,
he chose faith without passion.
(mtinlled on page 12)