UNDERSTANDING THE CREATIVE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE LOCAL CHURCH
Over the centuries the church (both institutionally and individually) have had a fickle relationship with the creative and artists. In some centuries the artist has been highly exonerated; on the other hand in other centuries they have been viewed with suspicion and mistrust. The purpose of this article is to try and layout the clear biblical viewpoint of both the creative and then as a progression, artists who are Christians.
The starting point for any understanding on the creative, must be that God is the author of all creativity, as He is the ultimate creator:
" In the beginning God created …" (Ge 1:1a, NKJV)
If we as Christians took more time to appreciate the intrinsically complex and breath-taking universe that God has created (even in it’s fallen state), we would come to have a much greater appreciation of the creative. Why, because in some small way it is a reflection of the God who is the source of all creativity. Just to ponder on that thought for a moment is important. A true Christian (who are often known as Creationists) view of God is not that God is the ‘best’ or superior creator, amongst many. Instead it is that He is the author or source of all creativity. In the same way that a river or stream has one source; so all creativity has one beginning/source – God. The statement, which has just been made if followed through, has far reaching theological implications. If God is the source of all creativity, then that means the devil has no creative originality (this point will be expanded later in the article).
Over the centuries the church (both institutionally and individually) have had a fickle relationship with the creative and artists. In some centuries the artist has been highly exonerated; on the other hand in other centuries they have been viewed with suspicion and mistrust. The purpose of this article is to try and layout the clear biblical viewpoint of both the creative and then as a progression, artists who are Christians.
The starting point for any understanding on the creative, must be that God is the author of all creativity, as He is the ultimate creator:
" In the beginning God created …" (Ge 1:1a, NKJV)
If we as Christians took more time to appreciate the intrinsically complex and breath-taking universe that God has created (even in it’s fallen state), we would come to have a much greater appreciation of the creative. Why, because in some small way it is a reflection of the God who is the source of all creativity. Just to ponder on that thought for a moment is important. A true Christian (who are often known as Creationists) view of God is not that God is the ‘best’ or superior creator, amongst many. Instead it is that He is the author or source of all creativity. In the same way that a river or stream has one source; so all creativity has one beginning/source – God. The statement, which has just been made if followed through, has far reaching theological implications. If God is the source of all creativity, then that means the devil has no creative originality (this point will be expanded later in the article).
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