Hi D. F.,
Yes there is a lot a vapid of Christian music out there but with art, you
have to remember the maxim that ninety per cent of everything, at any give
time , is crud.Marty Haugen, David Haas, and Michael Joncas of GIA
Publications have turned out some sterling stuff
fhttp://www.giamusic.com/cgi-bin/cart/SoftCart.exe/sacred_music/artists.html
?L+scstore+kssq4286+1028072882O8
Highly recommend the album "Song of God among us".John Michael Talbot, the
late Keith Green, and Amy Grant (early period) also produced good music.I am
sure that there is more.In the representational arts, however, there is real
crisis. Christians appear to be zero for the entire 20th century!
If I am wrong, let me know.
-----Original Message-----
From: D. F. Siemens, Jr. [mailto:dfsiemensjr@juno.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 2:54 PM
To: shuanr@boo.net
Cc: billyates@billyates.com; asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: Creativity query
On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 10:50:46 -0400 "Shuan Rose" <shuanr@boo.net> writes:
>
>
> Hey, we are making contributions in the field of arts. Think
> of the
> wonderful, best selling Left Behind series. CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien,
> move over
> :-)
> More seriously, you are correct in that a distinctively Christian
> contribution to the arts seems mostly absent, except from the field
> of music
> (Christian contemporary & gospel). I don't know of any major
> contribution by
> Christians in the field of painting, sculpture, or the
> representational arts
> in the last 100 years. There have been a number of Christian
> writers.But
> compared to medevial and Renaisance times, Christianity is not doing
> a lot
> the arts these days, and we should be doing more.
I'm not that certain of the contributions to music. What I encounter in
contemporary secular and religious music is cacophonous vapidity. In this
the artists reflect the malaise of our culture, with Islamic fundamentalists
trying to destroy freedom, the West with no fixed point of moral reference,
etc. This is not to say that the popular church music of the past was all
that great. A friend of mine pointed out that "What Can Wash Away My Sin?"
has words and music that are incompatible. The text is serious and the tune
is better adapted to something like Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Birdies that
Sing in the Spring, Tra-la." I cannot commend the poetic depth of the
words, except that the message is serious.
I recall someone claiming that one can separate the poet from the producer
of doggerel by a simple question: are the words or the message of primary
importance. The one who loves the language may produce a poem. The one who
has to communicate a message will never write poetry, just verse. I believe
that Dorothy Sayers, whom David Campbell notes, would argue that something
similar holds between story and message. Her The Mind of the Maker is highly
relevant to this point. It seem obvious that, whenever an actor comes front
and center and harangues the audience, the drama has degenerated into
propaganda. This may also happen more subtilely.
We may not echo Browning's "God's in His heaven, all's well with the
world" except with the qualification that he will ultimately intervene to
produce order out of the chaos men have produced. But this is the ultimate
Christian commitment. Meanwhile, he has established the principles by which
the redeemed should live. Consequently, committed Christian artists will be
out of step with the current state of affairs.
Dave
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D920204922-30072002>Hi D.=20
F.,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D920204922-30072002>Yes=20
there is a lot a vapid of Christian music out there but with art, =
you have=20
to remember the maxim that ninety per cent of everything, at any give =
time , is=20
crud.Marty Haugen, David Haas, and Michael Joncas of GIA Publications =
have=20
turned out some sterling stuff</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D920204922-30072002>f</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2><SPAN class=3D920204922-30072002><A=20
href=3D"http://www.giamusic.com/cgi-bin/cart/SoftCart.exe/sacred_music/ar=
tists.html?L+scstore+kssq4286+1028072882O8">http://www.giamusic.com/cgi-b=
in/cart/SoftCart.exe/sacred_music/artists.html?L+scstore+kssq4286+1028072=
882O8</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN=20
class=3D920204922-30072002></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D920204922-30072002>Highly=20
recommend the album "Song of God among us".John Michael Talbot, the late =
Keith=20
Green, and Amy Grant (early period) also produced good music.I am sure =
that=20
there is more.In the representational arts, however, there is real =
crisis.=20
Christians appear to be zero for the entire 20th =
century!</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D920204922-30072002>If I=20
am wrong, let me know.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><FONT =
face=3DTahoma=20
size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> D. F. Siemens, Jr. =
[mailto:dfsiemensjr@juno.com]<BR><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, July 30, 2002 =
2:54=20
PM<BR><B>To:</B> shuanr@boo.net<BR><B>Cc:</B> billyates@billyates.com; =
asa@calvin.edu<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: Creativity =
query<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 10:50:46 -0400 "Shuan Rose"=20
<shuanr@boo.net> writes:<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>=20
Hey, we are making=20
contributions in the field of arts. Think <BR>> of the<BR>> =
wonderful,=20
best selling Left Behind series. CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, <BR>> move=20
over<BR>> :-)<BR>> More seriously, you are correct in that a=20
distinctively Christian<BR>> contribution to the arts seems mostly =
absent,=20
except from the field <BR>> of music<BR>> (Christian =
contemporary &=20
gospel). I don't know of any major <BR>> contribution by<BR>> =
Christians=20
in the field of painting, sculpture, or the <BR>> representational=20
arts<BR>> in the last 100 years. There have been a number of =
Christian=20
<BR>> writers.But<BR>> compared to medevial and Renaisance =
times,=20
Christianity is not doing <BR>> a lot<BR>> the arts these days, =
and we=20
should be doing more.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>I'm not that certain of the contributions to music. What I =
encounter in=20
contemporary secular and religious music is cacophonous vapidity. In =
this the=20
artists reflect the malaise of our culture, with Islamic =
fundamentalists=20
trying to destroy freedom, the West with no fixed point of moral =
reference,=20
etc. This is not to say that the popular church music of the past was =
all that=20
great. A friend of mine pointed out that "What Can Wash Away My Sin?" =
has=20
words and music that are incompatible. The text is serious and the =
tune is=20
better adapted to something like Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Birdies =
that Sing=20
in the Spring, Tra-la." I cannot commend the poetic depth of the =
words,=20
except that the message is serious. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I recall someone claiming that one can separate the poet from the =
producer of doggerel by a simple question: are the words or the =
message of=20
primary importance. The one who loves the language may produce a poem. =
The one=20
who has to communicate a message will never write poetry, just verse. =
I=20
believe that Dorothy Sayers, whom David Campbell notes, would argue =
that=20
something similar holds between story and message. Her <EM>The Mind of =
the=20
Maker</EM> is highly relevant to this point. It seem obvious =
that,=20
whenever an actor comes front and center and harangues the audience, =
the drama=20
has degenerated into propaganda. This may also happen more =
subtilely.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We may not echo Browning's "God's in His heaven, all's well with =
the=20
world" except with the qualification that he will ultimately intervene =
to=20
produce order out of the chaos men have produced. But this is the =
ultimate=20
Christian commitment. Meanwhile, he has established the principles by =
which=20
the redeemed should live. Consequently, committed Christian =
artists will=20
be out of step with the current state of affairs.</DIV>
<DIV>Dave</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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