5 comments about State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe (Turning Point Christian Worldview Series).

1. 'State of the Arts' attempts to define what art is from a Christian perspective. I have no problem with this, being a long-time and devoted Christian, but I'm not sure I buy into everything Gene Veith says. His definition is largely defined by the biblical account of God's instruction to Bezalel the Old Testament artist for the Tabernacle and Temple; art in general, Veith says, must be creative, intelligent, beautiful, and exalting. I completely agree that modern 'works' such as the crucifix in [...], and the homoerotic photographs of Mapplethorpe lie outside of the purview of what art is; but should Andy Warhol's `Campbell's Soup Cans' also be excluded from the realm of what is considered art because Warhol copied the cans instead of creating them? (He created the idea that makes his statement on consumerism). I actually like modern art (with exceptions, of course) without buying into the 'worldview' any particular point of view expresses; I actually think it is critically important to be able to see into other worldviews as an aid to the evangelical aspect of my faith. That said, I completely agree with Veith's view on modern bohemianism and the cult of the artist as a sort of shaman: the elitist concept, for example, that only certain enlightened people 'get' blank canvasses and while the rest of us just thinks the emperor has no clothes (well-expressed by blank canvases, I think).
   
   This book is a worthy read because Veith at least gives the definition of art a good shot. I just think his view is a little narrow.



2. Veith takes on a large topic in a small volume and faces the limitations thus imposed. Having said that, the book meets its target of providing a brief, lucid framework as a point of reference from which the Christian can begin to explore art as a more informed consumer. Because of the necessity of describing some quite objectionable subject matter in covering the entire breadth of what masquerades as art in the post-modern world, "State of the Arts" should be read by an adult audience. A quite readable and very useful work. Recommended.



3. My 15 year old daughter is studying this book in history. Not art history, just history. I saw this book in her room and picked it up when I saw "Mapplethorpe" on the cover. My daughter is in a private Christian school so I never in a million years would have thought she'd be learning anything about this freak. I was wrong, she got to learn about Mapplethorpe's photos of men urinating into the mouths of other men. Oh, and Annie Sprinkle's performance art consisting of masturbating then letting customers examine her private parts with a flashlight. I fail to see the reasoning of such graphic descriptions disguised as "Christian" information.



4. Veith tries to tackle a subject that has long been neglected - Christianity and art from biblical times to the postmodern era. Although he gives an acceptable overview for a 230 page paperback, there are many areas where he is just too simplistic.

   Veith attempts to create an absolute of the "Christian artist" based on the Tabernacle work of Bezalel. That may be as erroneous as creating a flat world from the scripture verse that deals with "the four corners of the earth."

   He makes quick generalized statements about non-Christian artists without being able to back them up - "Jackson Pollock's experiments in the random patterns made by paint flung onto a canvas, might exhibit some cleverness, I suppose - as in, whoever would think to do such a thing? - but no real intelligence or knowledge." Those of us who are artists, however, know better (Veith is an English professor). Pollock's work shows a remarkable amount of knowledge and mastery: The intricate rhythmic harmonies passed down from his mentor, Thomas Hart Benton; the "dance" of the western plains' indians now reproduced in an "action painting"; the understanding of how paint drips and flows (as seen in splatterings of nature); the knowledge of color harmonies; etc.

   Veith also comments on Duchamp's inability to create art with his "ready-mades" (An idea championed by Francis Schaeffer). However, this is Duchamp's point. Art not only can be the idea and conception of the artist, but also, art exists around us in all forms that generally go overlooked. Duchamp expanded the narrow vision of the Christian artist and their understanding of creativity and freedom.

   Until a writer/artist comes forward to write something of this nature, State of the Arts will have to do. Just remember to proceed with caution and don't buy the whole package.




5. Most helpful in this book, and probably unique compared to similar books, is "Part 2: The Biblical Foundations". (Sure, I had read Francis Shaeffer's "Art and the Bible"...But this may be a little more in-depth.) The chapters are called: "6)The Vocation of Bezalel" (the calling of the artist) "7)The Works of Bezalel"(various types of art sanctioned by scripture) "8)The Idolotry of Aaron" (Biblical example of a gifted artist who's art went arwy)

   As a painter, I also found the chapter "Art and the Church" both encouraging and challenging. Dr Veith points to the centrality of the Word of God and the limitations of art & aesthetics compared to the Gospel. Very helpful.

   I do not find Dr Veith's critique of the Art World to be too extreme, or as un-compassionate as a previous reader does. Considering the overall context of this book, it seems to me that Dr Veith emphasizes the high standard and purpose of Scripture for the arts, and invites Christians to join in on embracing these truths.

1 comments about One Hundred Saints: Their Lives and Likenesses Drawn from Butler's "Lives of the Saints" and Great Works of Western Art.

1. I bought this book from a used book shop and was thoroughly impressed by the beautiful selection of pictures and pieces from Butler's Lives of the Saints. If you are looking for an introduction to the saints, this is well worth the money.

5 comments about The Colorful Apocalypse: Journeys in Outsider Art.

1. Greg Bottoms's project here is to figure out how the mental, physical, and familial truams of the outsider artists he examines is connected to their violent, apocalpytic, and death-haunted outsider art. What explains their passion and compulsion for creating their visionary and charismatic art? This links to his own past: Bottom had a violently schizophrenic brother who claimed to have religious visions and tried to kill himself. What distinguishes the visions and disturbing art of these outsider artists from the madness of schizophrenia and other disorders? The book is at its best (and really quite brilliant and revelatory) when Bottoms analyzes the psychology of these artists, his simultaneous connection to and detachment from them, and the impulse that drives them to make their art.



2. The Colorful Apocalypse is a great travel memoir that explores the pyschology and creativity of 'religious outsider artists' with a unique and sensitive perspective. It's a truly fascinating read.



3. The Colorful Apocalype is an excellent book that offers a unique blend of cultural history and theory, travel writing, and autobiography. It is also a very human and touching portrait of Southerners using art and religion to make sense of their pasts. The author's own past dealing with mental illness gives him a unique perspective and keeps him from harshly judging others because he too has been close to "crazy." A very literary book filled with dazzling writing and insight into religious obsession and psychology that would be classified as outside the norm.



4. Once again, Bottoms turns his incisive gaze onto the topics of madness and creativity. With this wonderful nonfiction look at the work of several outsider artists, Bottoms again shows us how art can save our lives, all of us. A masterful work.



5. First of all, this is not what I expected when I ordered it. I thought it would be a book OF art, and it is a book ABOUT four artists - Howard Finster, William Thomas Thompson, Norbert Nox, and Myrtice West. All four are "evangelical artists," who believe they have been grabbed by God and commended to paint. Professor Bottoms, who had a schizophrenic brother, is exploring the gray area between madness and Christian ecstasy. In his mind, they are struggling to make sense, through religion and art, of their difficult personal histories, to get past the "chaos of despair" and find ways in which "creativity can help order our lives."
   
   This approach is both the book's greatest strength and greatest weakness.
   
   Because the author is neutral on religion, he can critique without bering excessively "pro" or "anti." He is best when showing how the artists, coming from an extreme fundamentalism, are actually painting critiques of that very fundamentalism. He points out a major difference between these artists and his mentally ill brother: "... by contemporary psychological standards, he [West] probably was somewhat mad, but, as far as I could tell, he was not tortured or in pain in the least. He was a lot happier than most people I know ..." [p.54]
   
   However, being that neutral also leaves him without a real conclusion other than the "revelations" the people have help them make sense of their world. Well-and-good, but that can be said of almost anyone, and is hardly what makes them unique. Statements such as "... I believe painting for West is like praying, a kind of concentrated ritual meant to show total devotion and thus bring about positive change ..." [p.47] is hardly unique to Ms. West, as many of us who "are religious" have such "concentrated rituals." For some, for example, attending Eucharist does this, and that is hardly a work of "outsider art," except, I suppose, in the sense we are to be in the world but not of it.

No comments about The Beauty of God: Theology and the Arts.

3 comments about Three Treatises on the Divine Images (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press Popular Patristics Series).

1. When the Byzantine emperor Leo III and sided with the iconoclasts and ordered the destruction of images he came into direct conflict with the traditions of the church. St. John of Damascus risked livelihood and life to publicly denounce the iconoclasts and Leo by name in these 3 treatises. The first treatise seems an immediate from-the-hip response, the second is provided to expound on some of the ideas that some readers/hearers might have misunderstood, the third is a more detailed and thorough response to iconoclasm and church authority in general.
   
   St. John takes on the iconoclasts from several directions. With respect to their use of scriptural prohibitions against images, St. John responds with church tradition as the guide to interpreting scripture and challenges those who would "remove the ancient boundaries, set in place by our fathers" [Prov 22:28]. He reminds his listeners several times in these sermons that, "Not only has the ordinance of the Church been handed down in writings, but also in unwritten traditions." And ends the first sermon on that theme with, "Therefore I entreat the people of God, the holy nation, to cling to the traditions of the Church. " Referring to Ezek 20:25 in light of Matt 19:7-8 with Heb 1:1-3, St. John says, "And I say to you, that Moses, on account of the hardness of heart of the sons of Israel, ordered them not to make images, for he knew their tendency to slip into idolatry. But now it is not so; we stand securely on the rock of faith enriched by the light of knowledge of God." The authority of the church to interpret scripture based on the sacred tradition is without doubt in John's eyes. It is a direct challenge to those in John's day (and ours) who would attempt to claim scripture alone guided by private interpretation alone as the final authority on faith and morals.
   
   With respect to the authority of the emperor to arrogate the authority of the church, St. John responds forcefully on the basis of apostolic succession, "It was not to emperors that Christ gave the authority to bind and loose, but to apostles and to those who succeeded them as shepherds and teachers." Several times he refers to emperor Leo by name so there can be no doubt of his meaning.
   
   St. John is not shy to imply that the iconoclasm movement is, in essence, nothing more than a resurgence of the Manichee heresy that viewed matter as inherently evil. He challenges this heresy with "You abuse matter and call it worthless. So do the Manichees, but the divine Scripture proclaims that it is good. [Gen 1:31]" And when challenging the view that images of matter could not be made or venerated he responds, "For just as the holy Fathers destroyed the sacred places and temples of the demons and in their place raised up temples in the name of the saints, and we reverence them, so they destroyed the images of the demons and instead of them put up images of Christ and the Mother of God and the saints." And, St. John further asserts, "I do not venerate matter, I venerate the fashioner of matter, who became matter for my sake, and in matter made his abode, and through matter worked my salvation. I reverence therefore matter and I hold in respect and venerate that through which my salvation has come about, I reverence it not as God, but as filled with divine energy and grace." St. John also links images with the veneration of saints and contends that removing an image of a saint is the same as not venerating them, and, he contends concerning the saints, "It is just as bad not to offer the honor due to those who are worthy, as it is to offer inappropriate glory to the worthless."
   
   St. John's eloquence alone makes this an enjoyable and inspiring read. The relevance to the issues related to images which St. John touches upon (relics, hagiography, Mary, icons, statues, scripture and tradition) are still hindering our unity today and that makes this work all the more valuable to us. This is a must read for anyone interested in the development of Christian doctrines or church history.



2. 
   "John of Damascus helped to secure the future of art in the service of Christ. Without his brilliant defense, both profound and at times earthly, we might well have had no icons, murals, and mosaics in churches to elevate and enrich our spirits." L. Wickham, Cambridge Divinity
   
   
   
   Icons then & now:
   The Orthodox attitude toward icons developed out of the iconoclastic struggle of the eighth and ninth centuries. During the reformation, early church reformers were iconoclasts, they believed it impossible to portray the divinity of Christ, and thus found it heretical to portray only his humanity. The Eastern solution to the icons of Christ was to focus on the image, which God made visible in the flesh, emphasizing the divine nature of the humanly experienced Christ. This strictly adhered to a traditional portrayal by copying a likeness from one image to another, revert to early 'iconic writings', rather than mere imagination or interpretation. The features of icons are similar because they are portraits based on historical prototypes, unlike Western art, individual visualizations of figures available for unending imagination. These representations help Eastern Orthodox in worship, though inevitably flawed, by providing a blurred vision of spiritual truth.
   
   Icons, a Western View:
   "...the icon Fr. Barbour purchased wherein one sees the women 'Orthodoxy, and 'Hellas,' this is a coy and clever rhetorical strategy. ... It is also suggestive of that ubiquitous caricature of Orthodoxy we are all well aware of: the Orthodoxy that is nothing more than the idolatrous synthesis of faith and cultural identity." The Ochlophobist, Oct. 06
   The very different response of the West to an iconoclastic challenge led to a different Christ figure than that of the East, which emphasized his humanity. The Christ figure, Dostoevsky portrays, in Myshkin is very much a Western Christ, one who is undeniably human, vulnerable to suffering and death, not a deity in human form, who is offering us salvation. Dostoevsky has dislocated the iconography of Christ, East and West, to carry out what might be called an iconoclastic project of his own. In portraying the 'truly good man,' an even necessary task for an artist, he runs the risk of producing an authoritative discourse which answers those questions which must remain open, only dealt with through the experience of suffering. If he were to create the image, he would destroy its power. These issues were far ahead of John Damuscene when he wrote his apologies.
   
   Louth Translation & commentary:
   John of Damascus wrote 'Against Those Who Attack the Divine Images' in debating the iconoclastic Byzantine theologians of the 8th century, and the imperial powers violently rejecting icons veneration. He defended the tradition of using icons in liturgical and private prayers, reminding the Church that their use is a safeguard to a central doctrine of orthodox Christian faith: the Incarnation of the Word. In Jesus Christ, God became man, and therefore, can be depicted in icons.
   This fresh, complete translation, of John's three treatises on the divine images more clearly display the issues at stake, both then and now. This translation by the eminent patristic scholar, in modern English, renders these central treatises accessible, to scholars and laymen alike. John's message remains pertinent today, for those who still regard icons with suspicion.
   
   John of Damascus:
   Andrew Louth task was initiated by his study on John of Damascus, unlike JND Kelly on Golden Mouth, is a remarkable combination of theology and scholarship. He is capable to analyze the various influences discernible in the numerous writings of John. Louth's scholarly methodology combines the historical analysis of literary association with the exposition of the thematic content of the texts, demonstrating an enviable mastery of the Greek patristic literature. This study sets John's theological work in the context of the process of defining, preserving, and defending the church doctrine. He explores John's achievement as a theologian of icons and as a liturgical poet. Louth depicts John as standing at the end of the creative era of patristic thought but addressing that thought to a new age of expanding Islam and Christian iconoclasm, in which his Arab monastic community, despite its remoteness from Byzantium, played a strategic role in articulating theological defense.
   
   Fr. Andrew Louth:
   Professor of Patristic and Byzantine Studies, U. of Durham. He taught patristics in Oxford University, and Byzantine and Medieval history in the University of London. His research interests lie mostly in the history of theology of the Greek tradition, within the Byzantine Empire. His books include: Origins of the Christian Mystical Tradition: from Plato to Denys, Discerning the mystery: an essay on the nature of theology, books on Dionysius the p-Areopagite, Maximos the Confessor, John Damascene, and on the tradition of desert Christian spirituality.



3. When Christians began destroying all sorts of religious images in the 8th century, St. John of Damascus put pen to paper to defend their practice, and anyone who wishes to say that Christians who use images in worship are idolators must first deal with this book.
   
   He makes three basic arguments. First, he points out they did not worship images, but revere them as a window or pointer towards a heavenly reality, much like how most Christians would treat the printed Word (the book itself is not sacred, the messages contained in it are).
   
   Secondly, the use of images is not only not forbidden in the Old Testament, but is actually commanded (the Ark, for instance, or the bronze serpent). Thus, only "idols" are forbidden, not images (actually, it is the word "eidol" in the Septuagint that St. John would have used).
   
   Third, when God became man, He effectively gave us an image, Himself. To deny that images have a valid place in worship is to deny the Incarnation of Christ, and the Trinity is the very heart of Christianity.
   
   St. John the Damascene makes these arguments bluntly and succinctly. He believed that he was holding up the traditional view of Christianity, and he did this in Syria, then controlled by Islam which forbids the use of images. His defence made him unwelcome in the Empire and it placed him at odds with a core teaching of his rulers. Given that he thus risked his life to write these, Christians should give him a firm hearing.

5 comments about Caravaggio.

1. I just purchased this book based on previous reviews. One disappointment I have with it is the cropped paintings or paintings with the seem slicing through them. It's frustrating as a student of the arts to try and copy the tiny details out of the bindings. Aside from that, I am glad I bought it. The works inside are fantastic.



2. This is an excellent book. The pictures are amazing! and the explanation is precise. I give it 5 stars!



3. I did so look forward to receiving this book greedily unwrapping it as soon as it arrived. I'm a huge fan of Caravaggio and having seen many of his paintings in situ I was eager for any new information. Unfortunately I'm one of the people who can't read the small silver text on glossy white paper. When I say "can't read" I mean that within about two minutes all of the little silver words on the page just dissolve into whiteness. I agree it looks pretty but perhaps that combination of ink and paper might best be reserved for an invitation to a Winter Solstice dinner and not used in an obviously superb book such as this one. Catherine Puglisi was done a terrible dis-service in the design of this book. The quality of the photographs of the paintings (and the quantity) are fantastic and I have enjoyed them immensely. Maybe the paper version is black on white but I sure don't like to have buy the same book twice. I'm giving two stars to what is probably a five star book.



4. Dr. Catherine Puglisi is not only a fine scholar, well informed about her subject, she is also a fine writer. CARAVAGGIO is a richly produced heavy volume (hardcover reviewed) that spreads the text throughout the course of the book as each of the points about the artist's life and technique and gifts to art history is explored.
   
   The color plates are reproduced with clarity and two-page extensions of the larger horizontal works aid the reader in gaining perspective. Multiple images of details offer close examination of Caravaggio's technique, a manner that continues to influence representational artists today.
   
   Puglisi gratefully does not shy away from the controversial aspects of Caravaggio's life and sexuality. She deals with the facts and presents them in context with his concurrent paintings. The volume includes an exceptionally fine body of appendices that offers a complete checklist of the paintings including small reproductions of some, a terse bibliography, and a series of extracts from the myriad sources from which Puglisi extracted information.
   
   The one criticism of this book, and it is a significant one, is the small type font in the pale gray ink selected by a designer who seems more concerned with 'making a pretty book' than in respecting the written word! But in the end this is a definitive volume about one of art history's more interesting and gifted painters. Grady Harp, December 05



5. Anything showing photos of this fellow's incredible oevre would probably deserve the highest praise even without editorial guidance. But just browsing thru this one will stun anyone not familiar with Caravaggio, which is probably 98% of the populace.Ms. Puglisi interweaves the artist's life and times around the glorious color photos. The print may be a tad small,but the fact that there's around two spaces between each line of text makes it, IMHO, even easier to read than otherwise. The raw,harrowing originality of this artist are beyond description, and his life is a near match. He died violently before the age of 40...Especially recommended for those (mainly males) who may think that Art and Art History are less than manly pursuits!! (Yes there are plenty of guys out there who think like this.) Give this book, the author,publisher, and the artist way more than five stars!!

1 comments about Te Deum: The Church and Music.

1. Paul Westermeyer's Te Deum: The Church and Music demonstrates the utter importance of music throughout the church's turbulent history. He details the music of the Old Testament, New Testament, the church fathers, reformation, and briefly describes the modern period. Westermeyer masterfully interweaves his philosophy of music with a moving commentary and the pertinent details of history. He explains the worship of the Old Testament choosing to highlight the use of the Psalms in worship. He moves to the New Testament age and the early church and helps the reader to understand the important role that music played in the church.
   Westermeyer's commentary on the medieval times was helpful. He adequately illustrates the progress of music in that age and helps the student to realize that the music (style, rythm, notes) were completely different. He explains the different views of using instruments, non-instrumental vocals, and silence. His balanced approach to history makes one really ponder the circumstances that the different ministers in different ages had to deal with.
   Dr. Westermeyer cover the Reformation period and gives information on some of the Reformers and their particular views. His section on Luther was fascinating, thought-provoking, and well-written. He ties in the theology, philosophy, and the musical abilities of each Reformer. His work on the modern age was rather brief and incomplete; however, he does give information on the early hymn writers and the development of different kinds of hymns and other church music.

   Dr. Paul Westermeyer is more than qualified to write such a book. His work is excellent. He is an able historian, theologian, and philosopher--not to mention his abilities as a musician. His stated purpose in writing the book was to present a workable text for students and laymen alike. His careful historical treatment with just the right mix of commentary makes for excellent reading. I was amazed to realize my own lack of knowledge about church music. He really drove home the point of understanding your philosophy of worship. He backs up all of his statements with evidence and provides ample footnotes for further research. His treatment of the differing views was also quite fair.
   I felt as though he may have gotten a little too technical at times. He feared "oversimplifying" some of his explanations from time to time, but I rarely found this to be the case! His explanation of Luther's views (and those of the major Reformers) was exceedingly helpful. He managed to successfully navigate the troubled water of church history with ease. His comments about modern music were quite incomplete. I would really enjoy reading his opinion about different modern day streams of thought with regard to worship. His emphasis on Lutheranism was interesting, but when it comes to the modern age he should have dedicated more time to discussing mainline evangelical musicians and their philosophies of worship.

   Paul Heier, author of Leading Out of Love

1 comments about Beholding the Glory: Incarnation through the Arts.

1. This is a fantastic application of 'Theology Through The Arts' to the doctrine of the incarnation. If you are looking for a theology of the arts, look elsewhere. Within these few pages you will find artists and scholars using art as a medium to make observations on the doctrine of the incarnation. Trevor Hart's opening chapter on theology through the arts alone makes the purchase worthwhile. Jeremy Begbie's insights in his chapter on music will change the way ministers preach on Trinity Sunday. It's an introductory level work, so I strongly encourage you to pick it up and discover how the arts can change the way you think about theology.

1 comments about The Treasures of Coptic Art in the Coptic Museum and Churches of Old Cairo.

1. The most important museum in the world for Coptic antiquities, Egypt's Coptic Museum founded in Old Cairo in 1908 houses icons, stone pillars, textiles, incense burners, Bible containers, wall paintings, papyri, wooden altar screens, crosses, and church chandeliers, among other objects. Many of these are made from ivory and bone; and others from local and imported stone, paints, wood, fabrics, and other materials for religious, artistic, and cultural items of their period. A few surviving Coptic churches are also pictured to bring in to a limited degree Coptic architecture.
   
   Over 130 of the assorted antiquities are pictured in clear color photographs of various scales, including many full page, allowing for appreciation and study of their details. For example, smaller pieces of jewelry are pictured close-up so that their carvings of figures and details of their features and clothing stand out. Parts of some textiles have close-ups where not only the woven figures and patterns can be viewed discretely, but their weaving is apparent. Text goes beyond just identifying the varied objects to treat theological inferences and implications as well as artistic and historical points of note. One image of Christ from about the seventh century "employs various devices" to render him "more approachable." Chief among these is the "halo around his head" calling to mind his particular holiness as a living person "[r]ather than representing him in a mandorla [a large oval halo frequenting enclosing a figure, from the Glossary], which would indicate his existence beyond time and space."
   
   The work of coffee-table size, quality, and style offers a particularly handsome as well as a comprehensive portrayal of this distinctive, long-lasting religious art which reflects the pagan, Romanistic, and Middle Eastern cultures of its beginnings over two thousand years ago. Gabra is a former director of the Coptic Museum; Eaton-Krauss, a specialist in Egyptian art and archaeology.

1 comments about The Dark Interval: Towards a Theology of Story.

1. The Dark Interval: Towards a Theology of Story is one of the best introductions to narrative theology in print. Yes, this is the same Crossan associated with the search for the historical Jesus - but avoiding that strain of contemporary theology is no excuse to miss this gem.

   Crossan is widely educated and very comfortably draws from a number of literary, philosophical and theological sources. His argument on the relationship between limit, game, and narrative is especially thought provoking. His analysis of parables as cross-expectations is one of the more interesting and thought-provoking studies of parables.

   The net result of his line of thought is that the reader gains a pratical rather than strictly theorectical understanding of narrative theology ... and comes to see it as a natural tool of interpretation of life - one's own or Christ's/