Brady DeHoust -- Happy Reformation Day

Happy Reformation Day. In honor of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing up the famous/infamous Ninety-Five Theses and beginning possibly the most significant event in church history since Saint Paul’s conversion, today I shall give a brief account of a Biblical perspective on art, loosely based on Dr. Gene Edward Veith’s account as recorded in State of the Arts, his treatise on the Christian aesthetic (the subtitle of which, “From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe,” is telling of his socially critical aim). This account is drawn primarily from Exodus, wherein Moses receives divine revelation as to the manner and design by which the Tabernacle was to be constructed, and wherein the Lord specifically appointed and anointed the Hebrew Bezalel to be the artist and craftsman behind its creation (along with his servant, Oholiab). From Exodus 31:1-11, the passage in which God calls Bezalel, one can discern a few guidelines for art from a Biblical perspective.

Exodus 31:2-5 is the primary passage of interest. It reads: “‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft” (ESV; emphasis added).

The first element of the Biblical aesthetic values, then, is ability. This implies a degree of skill, an aptitude for the arts or particularly one’s medium (Bezalel apparently had many). It means to me simply the capacity to produce works of art, to capture that certain je ne saís quoí in a sensual medium.    

The second element is intelligence. This to me means intentionality and coherence, order and cognitive engagement. It is the same in this context as in the “intelligent design” argument for creationism, the same element present in nature.

Thirdly, knowledge, which implies to me a deeper significance behind mere sensual pleasantries, correlating with Aristotle’s concept of philosophy in relation to art, or Kierkegaard’s, that art is a means of conveying truth or wisdom.

Finally, the Biblical aesthetic includes craftsmanship. This goes hand in hand with ability, but rather than the abstract ability to unite the idea of art and the sensual world, it is the visceral ability to use the tools of a medium to produce artifacts of beauty.

Additionally and on another note, creation is a significant theme in Christianity. God is the divine Creator and Sustainer of the world, and we were created in His image. As image-bearers, partaking in the divine nature, the gift of art and creation is a beautiful and powerful part of the human identity, the human condition. Ideally, of course, this gift will be used to glorify God and in conjunction with relationship in the Holy Spirit for the fulfilment of that gifting/anointing. I have recently heard humanity described as “God’s artwork” and “God’s masterpiece;” this strikes me as an apt description, in some ways capturing the dramatic, dynamic, and intimate relationship between man and God. The fact that God created a creature that can itself autonomously create is a testament to His goodness and (for lack of a better word) creativity.

At any rate, happy Reformation Day.

P.S. I know this wasn’t technically published on Reformation Day. There was an emergency and I had to put off submitting it. Just let me have this.