Christians and Culture by Dr. Charlie W. Starr Art is meant to entertain, give pleasure, and offer fun. It also shows beauty (that’s part of the pleasure it gives) and sometimes that beauty points to the glory of God. Art reaches us through imagination, showing us things rather than telling us—putting us through experiences that […]
The purpose of art: part four: beauty and glory
Christians and Culture by Dr. Charlie W. Starr Beauty appeals to the imagination. In part that means it appeals to our senses (like sight and sound). One of the qualities of good art is that it shows rather than tells. Art doesn’t tell us that we should be brave. It shows us courage so profound […]
The purpose of art—part three: reason and imagination
Christians and Culture by Dr. Charlie W. Starr The purpose of art is to be beautiful so that beauty can reach our imaginations. Then, in our imaginations, we can learn what only art and beauty can teach us. Before we define beauty further, let’s consider two kinds of human thinking. Two Kinds of Thinking When […]
The purpose of art–Part two: beauty and truth
Christians and Culture by Dr. Charlie W. Starr Last month I began a series on the purpose of art that began with a look at why art matters and why we need to know about it. One of my primary claims is that most Christians in America no longer know what art is for and […]
The purpose of art–Part one: why it matters
Christians and Cultures by Dr. Charlie Starr Religious influence on American culture is not what it used to be; in fact, we often say ours is a “secular” culture. I knew politics had lost its major influence on culture when Bill Clinton appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1991 wearing sunglasses and playing […]
