DATE TAUGHT: Friday, August 23rd 2019
TEACHER: Thaddeus Maharaj
Workshop trailer:
Jonathan Edwards once said,
“All the beauty to be found throughout the whole creation is but the reflection of the diffused beams of that Being who hath an infinite fullness of brightness and glory; God… is the foundation and fountain of all being and all beauty.”
Many creatives in the church often struggle to make the connection of their faith to their creative talents and desires. Too little time is spent thoughtfully considering how the Bible impacts the way we think about the arts and creativity in general. Many just assume that faith and creativity occupy separate spheres of life, or if they do intersect, perhaps it’s only in the church bulletin or powerpoint graphics for a sermon slide.
However, the Bible gives us God’s wisdom for all of life – including your creativity. It may surprise you just how expansive the Bible’s vision of creativity actually is…
Some questions we’ll be considering in this workshop:
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Is there such a thing as a ‘theology of art’ in the Bible?
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Is there such a thing as good and bad art or is it all subjective taste?
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How does the Gospel impact my creative life?
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How can I glorify God with my creative talents?
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What are some spiritual dangers for creatives?
So, if you’re a creative in visual arts, digital media, music, performance arts or you’re simply just interested in exploring the answers to any of these questions, this workshop is for you!
Workshop Video Recording
Print out the worksheet PDF (below) and use these videos to follow along with the workshop.
(TIP: You can use the gear icon to speed up/slow down the video so you can follow better)
Workshop Audio MP3 (2 Parts)
You can listen to the audio of the workshop here – or download it to listen later.
IMAGO (PART ONE)
IMAGO (PART TWO)
NOTE: To download, on some browsers it may open in a new window where you can download the audio by clicking on the ‘three dots’ at the side of the audio player OR you may have to right-click the button links and choose Save As…
Print and Other Materials
These are the materials used during this workshop. Feel free to use them if you’d like to go through the workshop personally or together with a small group or Bible study.
WORKSHOP WORKSHEET
This workshop was designed to be used together with the worksheet. You can download and print this PDF to follow along with the lesson and make notes.
TEACHER'S NOTES
These are the teacher’s notes from the workshop. You can download and print the PDF here. This would be a good resource for leading a small group through the material in this workshop.
PRESENTATION SLIDES
These are the presentation interactive PDF slides from the workshop. To view it as a fullscreen slideshow presentation, you will have to download it on your computer to run it.
Further Resources
Below is a short list of recommended resources to help you go deeper into the question of “How does my Christian faith connect with creativity and the arts?”
IMAGES & IDOLS: Creativity for the Christian Life
Christians ought to be leading the way in creativity, but we rarely do.
In this book, Ryan Lister, a theology professor, and Thomas Terry, a spoken word artist, team up to help restore the connection between creativity and theology. Images& Idols is a theological and artistic exploration of creativity in the Christian life. It will help creatives build a strong theological foundation for their art, while challenging the church to embrace a theology of beauty and creativity.
We highly recommend this resource!
Art for God's Sake: A Call to Recover the Arts
The creation sings to us with the visual beauty of God’s handiwork. But what of man-made art? Much of it is devoid of sacred beauty and is often rejected by Christians. Christian artists struggle to find acceptance within the church.
If all of life is to be viewed as “under the lordship of Christ,” can we rediscover what God’s plan is for the arts? Philip Graham Ryken brings into sharp focus a biblical view of the arts and the artists who make art for God’s sake.
This is a great short, yet comprehensive booklet on the major issue of the arts for all who seek answers.
A Redemptive Theology of Art
In A Redemptive Theology of Art, David Covington develops a biblical, systematic, and practical theology of aesthetics. It begins with the roots of aesthetics (vs. “art”) and the architecture and narrative of affection and passion, their woes and their glory. This book is an in-depth, biblical look at what beauty, aesthetics, and the arts.
At about 215 pages, this is not a quick read, but it is a great resource for those hungry to dive deeper than introductory materials. Each chapter ends with helpful reflection questions to assist the reader in considering how the material interacts with them personally and as a creative.
Art and the Bible
Many Christians, wary of creating graven images, have steered clear of artistic creativity. But the Bible offers a robust affirmation of the arts. The human impulse to create reflects our being created in the image of a creator God.
Art and the Bible has been a foundational work for generations of Christians in the arts. In this book’s classic essays, Francis Schaeffer first examines the scriptural record of the use of various art forms, and then establishes a Christian perspective on art. With clarity and vigor, Schaeffer explains why “the Christian is the one whose imagination should fly beyond the stars.”
The materials for our IMAGO WORKSHOP are offered through our website free of charge for personal use or in small groups for the edification of individuals in the body of Christ and the Church globally. Please, no editing or redistribution of this content without the expressed written permission of Hope Church Toronto West.
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