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ART 352
Redeemer University College, Fall 2009
Prof. Christopher M. Cuthill
ext. 4523
How does our faith bear upon our understanding of art(s)? What is the significance of art(s) in our post-modern culture? How can the church become more in tune with the aesthetic dimension of life? What are the challenges facing Christian artists today? These and other questions will be explored in weekly seminars.
ccuthil@redeemer.on.ca
profcuthill@gmail.com
Office 239D
I don't think that there's anything wrong with looking forward to what is to come... it can give us a sense of hope to continue "running the race to attain the prize." However, I'm not sure about longing for paradise lost - it's tempting to wish to go back to Eden, but as we discussed in class, the story ends in a city not a garden. Striving to go back to what once was may be counter productive when we're called to press on (towards the city). I think that there is a place for mourning what has been lost, but a more effective way to do it may be by mourning the effects of sin, not by presenting an idyllic world (past or present) that we can never experience. When art encourages us to pull away from our messy world in favour of an idyllic Garden of Eden, then I think that there is a problem. Art should push us deeper into our culture (with its unique strengths and weaknesses) rather than pulling us away from it.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is most definitely true at times. Art that praises the beauty of creation, for example, can be comforting to our hearts in a fallen world where perhaps we remember and miss Eden. It can point towards what will come as well. I don't think there is anything wrong with this at all - in fact I think that it's fundamentally important that we remember Eden. It contrasts our current sinful world and makes us wonder if and how things could ever be made right again. That's a softening of people's walls to the truth of the gospel. And for Christians, it reminds us not to be satisfied with our present state.
ReplyDeleteI also think that people have been seeking and longing for the Garden of Eden, but I also believe that they might not do it consciously. In a sinful and broken world such as the one we live in, people seek something better and in this sense I not only believe that we long for a paradise that is lost but hopefully look forward to something more that is to come. I think that it is important that we remember Eden but that we do not dwell too much on it. In our daily lives we should look to what is to come and what God has in store for our lives. The bible says that there is hope for our future and I think art can be a good way to help us learn about our present state and express hope for what is to come.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very misguided concept to long for a return to the Garden. Upon creation God gave Adam (and subsequently us) the order to cultivate, form and develop the potential that the earth He gave us which was pregnant with potential. The natural progression of the Biblical Story highlights this--we progress from a Garden to a city. To be an artist we must be concious of not only where we have been, but also where we are and where we are going. If we completely ignore the brokeness we live in, it presents a false and hollow illustration. However, to long for that initial unity with God, Creation and the Other is not wrong- but in order to long for that, we must be aware of where we are now.
ReplyDeleteI think its natural to long for the past when things were perfect. The Garden of Eden is the only concrete instance we have of the world the way God intended it to be. However, like Scott said, returning to the Garden is definitely a misguided concept. Rather than longing for the past, we need to live out the hope we have for the redemption that is happening right now and the redemption that is still to come. If a longing for the Garden has been manifested in art, I don't necessarily think that is wrong - it is part of being human. However, I do think there is a serious flaw to dedicating your whole life to longing for the past and never realizing the current or future situations.
ReplyDeleteI think that we long for the idea or concept of the Garden of Eden, and I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. What Adam and Eve had in the Garden was very special. They had a personal relationship with God where they could walk and talk with him and they were living in perfection. This is what is to come when we go live with God in heaven. I'm not sure if this is shown through art, because although there may be art that longs for perfection, there is a lot that focuses on the negative aspects of life.
ReplyDeleteAs Christians we are embedded in a story, we simply cannot shed who and where we are and look with a kind sentimentality to what was--we are here and now! Returning to the Garden in our art oversimplfies the story. At the Garden God gave us the materials and said "Go!", we need to be longing for the completion, not the beginning. We were not meant for Eden. Matthew 25:14-30 tells us the Parable of the Talents; we cannot bury our artistic endevours in the ground, we must make it live and grow until that time God calls us to account. Don't get me wrong, Eden was good, but when Christ completes his work it will be great.
ReplyDeleteI think we always long for something better than what this world gives us. The garden of Eden is a picture that has been made for us that is perfect and so that is what we strive for is life and in art. I don't think that this is wrong, it gives people a sense of hope that even though the world is evil and corrupt, there is this perfect paradise waiting for us when Jesus comes again. People portray this in their art because finding the way into that perfect place gives us inspiration to create art that can be reflected on and to think about the lives and world we live in now that is absent of love (which makes up the paradise.)
ReplyDeleteAs Scott said, we as Christians are embedded in the story- we are the continuation of this story. By seeking and longing for Eden, I think that we are more engaged in bringing heaven to earth. Do we as humans have the capability of bringing heaven to earth? No. Ultimately it is up to God when the time will come, but we can make this world a better place by longing for a world of Eden. If our call is to be more like Christ, I think it is not only natural to long for this, but right.
ReplyDeleteI echo the sentiments expressed above. While we might long for the idyllic perfection of Eden, it cannot come at the expense of realizing that we live in the here and now. In order for us to fully realize God’s kingdom here on Earth we need to deal with the brokenness around us. This longing to be in perfect relationship with God is essential for our Christian walk, but it must be accompanied by action.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, people are seeking or longing for paradise lost or what’s to come, but what’s wrong with that. As long as they’re not dwelling solely on either, who cares. It’s the same in life if we become consumed with the past that we can’t change or fixated on the future which is beyond our finger tips. Then we can lose sight of the present and not participate or contribute to the time we have and are in now.
ReplyDeleteI think that we can spend a lot of time clinging to nostaglia and ideals...hoping to return to the Garden of Eden is not an acception from this clinging. I think when we focus to much on the garden we neglect the world around us and the art can become kitch. We are making art in a broken world. the Garden of Eden is the basis for our narrative but not the focus. When it becomes the focus it might come across as an irrelevent message to public society. There is too much overwhelming injustice to leave out the neccessity of Redemption and the longing for full Redemption. I strongly believe that in making art that focuses too heavily on the Garden of Eden we miss out on the works of God happening right in our midst. The victories of Christ and the daily victories of the Holy Spirit are exciting and should not be overlooked because we were too busy clinging to the ideals in Eden. And then these glimpses of God in the present can allude to the full Redemption to come.
ReplyDeleteI think that people can get really attached to the idea of perfection and paradise, and that can become very unhealthy. Even in relationships people often fantasize their own fairytale endings which tend to leave them with bitter disappointment. The same is for art. If people look only for the goodness in art, they miss out on the real world. God calls us to be in the world and to engage with our culture. Our art should open a window into a perspective of the world as it is today, not how it was millions of years ago. I agree that the city is where we are. Place is very important in a Christian's life. God places everyone somewhere for a reason, our work should capture the time we are in and give a response to that time - including the hardships our culture endures.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe people to be seeking the Garden of Eden - but I do see them seeking personal desires of wanting to be challenged in who they are and simply seeking pleasure. We are humans are made to enjoy pleasure and if we get a little taste of something so great it should make us excited or perhaps in awe of what will come.
ReplyDeleteWhen I go to a concert and hear very good music I am carried away to someplace I do not know and it is wonderful. But then open my eyes and go back to reality because it cannot last forever - the kingdom will.
I agree that we can't just look back and not focus on the future, but I kind of see this as looking for the future in the past. Although we won't come to a Garden of Eden, I do believe we will come to a paradise, and if perfection will be found can be found in the future and the past, why not view it as either/or?
ReplyDeleteI think that if the artist portrays an idyllic perception or a longing for Eden in their work it disconnects the artist from their present reality. It's impossible to return to the garden and it's impossible to ever know what it was like from our current perspective. Art that represents this idyllic state can often come across as kitschy or shallow because the viewer cannot connect with what they are seeing. I do also think, however, that if an artist illustrates a longing for Eden it could be misplaced for a longing of the fruition of all things in Christ. I think that it's ok to be hopeful and excited for this but I also think that as artists we need to be careful of how we represent this in our art.
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