Product Description

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."

• Artists, writers and musicians
• Students
• Worship team participants and leaders

• A new edition of an IVP classic.
• Written by Francis Schaeffer, a respected theologian with a deep interest in the arts.
• Suggests eleven perspectives within which a Christian view of art can take shape.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217110 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-30
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 94 pages

From AudioFile
With her delightful British accent, Nadia May delivers the fervent devotion of theologian Francis Schaeffer. Schaeffer, the founder of LÕAbri Fellowship in Switzerland, is well known among evangelicals for his intellectual approach to Christianity. In this audiobook he addresses the importance and relevance of art in Christian thought and life. He covers all forms, including music, painting, poetry, and dance, all mentioned in the Bible. Schaeffer believes that Christians should use their God-given creativity to find purpose and meaning in their lives. Narrator May recounts SchaefferÕs thinking with clarity and passion. This is a fascinating book because of the challenging ideas of the author and the charm of the performer. N.L. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From the Publisher
Features & Benefits *A new edition of an IVP classic *Written by a respected theologian with a deep interest in the arts *Suggests eleven perspectives within which a Christian view of art can take shape

About the Author
About the Author

Francis A. Schaeffer founded the L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and was the author of many books, including The God Who Is There. Until his death in 1984, he was also a noted speaker with a worldwide ministry. His ministry continues through his books, with over two million copies in print.

Customer Reviews

Concise and relevant
Francis Schaeffer does in a short space what others try to do in many more pages. This book does a good job of considering Biblical examples of creativity and artistic expression. He critiques the Christian community's failure to be salt to the world with regards to art in contemporary society.

Poignant without being pugnacious or petty.

Art and the Bible -- a needed book
Francis Schaffer wrote this back in the 1970 -- and as a child of the 1980's growing up in the church. I remember the "Why not rock" phase of the church. And if the pushers of the "Why not rock" or the people who allowed it to come to the church had read this book. I do not think it would have been as big as it was.

This book also looks as Art as an extention of and/or a way to worship God.

I would highly recomend this book to everyone who was to have a biblical view of art and the christian in the world of art and as an artist. A very quick read but will leave you thinking for a while.

Art and the Bible... Certainly one of my favorite reads
Many people might want to analyze this work to death on an intellectual level. To examine the author's language for rhythm and music, to look for the high in the best of essays and speeches. They would have missed the point.

There is such an ugliness to so many subjects now. Everything seems mixed in a bad way, and no single subject seems to offer a note or a page or an element of clarity. Art has become ugly, Music has become dirty, and Poetry has become vulgar. In -Art and the Bible- , the subject of the arts is covered in what should be judged by an onlooker. Should the art appreciator, appreciate that piece of art? What part of that piece of art is worth appreciation, what part is not? If you are an artist, do you consider these subjects of judgment before and during your activity of art? Simply put, if we don't judge ourselves, we won't get rid of the germs, and our own art that we make will become dirty and impure and contaminated.

In a sense, there is a good insight of judging our inventions by understanding an organized and biblical way to judge them. As a person that draws and plays music, I can with ease say this, that this book has helped me find clarity on what is clean with art and what is not clean. By that very clarity, I was able to continue to pursue art.

Perhaps my most treasured part of this essay, was the acknowledgment that more skill in art is like more strength, with more skill, comes more responsibility. That you can appreciate the high skill of an artist while at the same time extremely disliking the content or application of belief in that same work. This essay allowed me to see that I was right. Talent is from God. Skill is the amount work you put into that talent. God will allow and does allow exceptional skill from those artists that would only invent things against God or against His order in their work. This essay helped me completely separate the judgment of content in a work with the judgment of skill in a work. They are two very different things.



I would most certainly recommend this to any artist or any Christian that reads their Bible and draws. Perhaps giving this essay to a young child at 12 who draws might be a most excellent idea. Even though you might have to help them through it, so they understand, it would lay a good godly foundation for later works of art.