The Pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and…Beauty? Suggested Reading on Arts and the Christian Life

When someone mentions “the arts,” what do you think of? I believe a typical picture includes an “anything goes” attitude, whether in the artist’s lifestyle or in the art’s production itself. The arts typically get relegated into a culturally liberalized category, often leaving Christians scratching their heads, wondering if bringing art in any form into the church is a wise decision. 

Before I jump into book recommendations on this topic, let me begin by providing a brief survey of beauty in worship as found in the Bible. 

Who defines beauty?

Since we have seen that corporate worship is a gathering of believers in Gathered for Worship, I will answer this question from the perspective of a believer. Genesis 1 states that God formed man in his image (v. 21), which was good. The goodness here does not refer to a moral action, but rather an inherent goodness about his creation. The Bible often implicitly teaches the importance of beauty, as seen in the beauty of poetry in Psalms, the narratives of the Gospels, or the laments in many Old Testament books. In Revelation 4:2-3, however, John explicitly states, “At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne.” God surrounds himself with beauty in heaven, which is reflected in his creation, which we still see today. In the glimpse of heavenly worship that John provides, it is apparent that God places value on beauty, as we should in our worship here on earth.

What is beautiful to God?

As mentioned above, God’s Word is full of beauty, which helps shape our hearts toward him. Literary theologian Leland Ryken believes that because literature is an art form, it is also “characterized by beauty, craftsmanship, and technique.”1 He further states that artistry “intensifies the impact of an utterance and is pleasurable for its own sake.”2 As we read Scripture, our imaginations become engaged through the poetic devices utilized, such as imagery, metaphor, hyperbole, and narrative. A biblically literate imagination is “shaped structurally, hermeneutically, emotionally, and volitionally by the overall pattern and paradigm of the biblical plotline.”3 The beauty found in Scripture reflects the beauty of God. He did not give us a list of propositional statements full of didactic truths. Instead, he teaches us truth through the beauty of the written word, using multiple literary examples to help form our hearts to his definition of beauty. Further, God calls many people and things “beautiful” in his Word. Kevin Vanhoozer provides us with a brief list: nature (James 1:11), the Temple (1 Kings 6-7), persons (Genesis 12:11), Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:15), and the body of Christ (Galatians 3:27).4

Is beauty in worship important?

Now that we have seen how God’s Word is full of beauty and the emphasis that God places on beauty, I want to address beauty in worship specifically. If we know that God surrounds himself with beauty in heaven and created beauty on earth, then why would this not be important to us today? When our worship is bland and lackluster, how is this forming our hearts as disciples of Christ? Additionally, as we have seen how the imagination is engaged through reading God’s Word, so the imagination should be applied “to be alert, to be creative, and to be active in looking” in worship.5 When we include beauty in our worship practices, visually and aurally, we aid the disciple-making process accurately. God places importance on beauty, so should we. Beauty helps form our hearts into right-thinking.

Beauty is not some “extra” that can be added or removed from worship. We were created for beauty, and God has provided beauty all around us. As Vanhoozer rightly states, “the aesthetic quality of our worship may well be an index of our appreciation of God’s beauty, and of our wisdom. Those who lack aesthetic sensibility are tone-deaf to God’s Word and colorblind to God’s glory.”6

Suggested Reading on the Arts and the Christian Life

Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer

Francis Schaeffer’s book, or rather, pamphlet, briefly and helpfully explains the role of art in God’s holy word. He states that the temple “was covered with precious stones for beauty. There was no pragmatic reason for the precious stones. They had no utilitarian purpose. God simply wanted beauty in the Temple. God is interested in beauty.” We have already seen that beauty is important to God, and Schaeffer further expounds on this. 

Beauty is found not only in the design and structure of the Old Testament temple but also in the kingdom yet to come. When we worship as a gathered body of believers on Sunday, we lift our voices with the heavenly beings, and our worship practices are important to God. Do we have the approach of “good enough” on a Sunday morning? Or, to quote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, do we apply “cheap grace” to God, in which our Sunday gathering is worship without the Bible? Schaeffer makes the point that what happens in worship forms the whole person, and a component of that formation is beauty. If beauty is not an important element of our worship, how can we say we are worshipping according to Scripture?

Rembrandt Is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith by Russ Ramsey

Russ Ramsey now has two books on art and the Bible. His first book, Rembrandt is in the Wind, helpfully explains the relationship of art and the Bible, and how Christians can interact with art in a Christ-honoring way. He writes, “In my experience, many  Christians in the West tend to pursue truth and goodness with the strongest intentionality, while beauty remains a distant third. Yet when we neglect beauty, we neglect one of the primary qualities of God.” Beauty is not an addendum that can be added or deleted at will. Beauty is foundational to who God is and should be treated as such by Christians.

Part of what draws me to Ramsey’s book is his writing style. He has a charming way of wielding the written word. His writing is descriptive yet poetic: “Beauty is a relic of Eden - a remnant of what is good. It comes from a deeper realm. It trickles into our lives as water from a crack in a dam, and what lies on the other side of that dam fills us with wonder and fear. Glory lies on the other side. And we were made for glory.” This book is unique in its genre but uncommon in its style. 

Ramsey includes a few helpful appendices at the end of his book, “How to Visit an Art Museum” and “How to Look at a Work of Art.” If you are a connoisseur of art, you will enjoy a fresh approach to looking at art again. And if you are an art novice, these two appendices will be incredibly helpful. Ramsey gently walks the reader through the natural steps of viewing art (how your eyes travel over a painting, the depths of color, etc.). No matter your current engagement with art, this book will help you see the intensity and expansiveness with which a Christian interacts with beauty.

75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know: The Fascinating Stories behind Great Works of Art, Literature, Music, and Film by Terry Glaspey

Countless books are written on the stories behind the music (hymns, art, etc.). Glaspey’s book, however, approaches this topic from a Christian worldview, placing it in a rare category. He takes the reader back to 300 AD and begins with a look at the paintings in the Roman Catacombs. His book has an element of church history, which brings former centuries into vibrant color. I have many favorite works of art mentioned in this text, including the Book of Kells (500 AD), The Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan, 1678), “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (Isaac Watts, 1707), Messiah by George Frideric Handel (1741), and Quartet for the End of Time (Olivier Messiaen, 1941). 

Glaspey not only provides the background on the particular art piece, but he also places it in its historical context, which provides pivotal information regarding the development of the art and the artist. Glaspey writes that his book “attempts to represent the breadth and depth of what Christians have accomplished in the arts.” This is a great book to take on vacation or read through leisurely during the summer months. 

Now what?

I encourage you to put some of these suggested actions into practice. After reading Ramsey’s book, plan a visit to a local art museum where you can exercise some of your new art appreciation muscles. As you read through Glaspey’s book, pause and listen to the piece of music you just read about. Allow the music to move beyond mere notes and pierce your soul. Knowing the context in which a piece was written can transform the way you hear the piece.

Most importantly, when you worship next Sunday, open your eyes to the beauty around you. Listen to the birds sing on your way into the church building. Look at the artistic elements in your church and worship God in the splendor of his holiness. Sing with enthusiasm to the Creator of music. May your eyes be opened to the beauty God has given us this side of heaven.

1. Leland Ryken, Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible (Ada, MI: Baker Academic, 1993), 16.

2. Ryken, Words, 16.

3. Alison Searle, ‘The Eyes of Your Heart’: Literary and Theological Trajectories of Imagining Biblically (Colorado Springs, CO: Paternoster, 2008), 46.

4. Kevin Vanhoozer, Pictures at a Theological Exhibition (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2016), 128-129.

5. Leland Ryken, The Liberated Imagination: Thinking Christianly About the Arts (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 1989), 269.

6. Vanhoozer, Pictures, 139.

Kim lives in Oklahoma with her husband Jason and they have one adult son. She is Visiting Professor of Music and Worship at Oklahoma Baptist University and enjoys teaching classes on various aspects of worship studies. Kim completed her Ph.D. in Church Music and Worship from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and also holds degrees in Music History and Piano Performance from other universities. She enjoys spending time with her family in God’s creation, quilting, reading, and drinking good tea.