Part 2 of 2. Taught by Ann Brown, at UCCF South Team Days March 09.
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In the Acts 17 account of Mars Hill, Paul gives us a brilliant example of how to engage with the surrounding culture:
- He was greatly distressed by it
- He studied their culture and uses a cultural cue v23 (possibly a classical sculpture) to begin his address
- He reinforces his argument by quoting from the Stoic philosopher Aratus, v28
- He demonstrates the inadequacy of the Athenians’ polytheistic worldview – focuses on the point of tension and highlights their inconsistency.
This is what Francis Schaeffer called “taking the roof off someone’s argument”. Every non-Christian protects themselves from the reality of life and the gospel by building a roof over themselves. It is helpful to very gently prise the roof off, by finding the inconsistencies. Visual art & apologetics are a brilliant bridge builder in this.
4 different ways to use visual art as such a bridge builder:
1. As a starting point for dialogue.
To connect, find common ground, focal point for discussion; it helps us understand where people are coming from and the questions going on in their heads. Creates an opportunity for an apologetic argument, and for asking questions. Note:
“this doesn’t mean that we use the arts as nice colourful wrapping to attract people’s attention.”
- Jeremy Begby
We have to treat the art with real integrity. There is no point in doing it if you haven’t got a genuine interest, or a desire to cultivate an interest.
Paul Gauguin, D’ou venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Ou allons-nous? (Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?) 1897-1898
Like a fresco (a wall painting/freeze fairly flat without depth, painted in churches in the medieval period, but also usually of a certain shape), this piece should be read from right to left. Starts with birth, through maturity, to the old lady dying at the end. They are pondering the questions of human existence. The woman on the far left is near death and accepts her fate with resignation. At the time, Gauguin’s favourite daughter had just died, and he no longer loved God. He saw this painting as a statement on a par with the gospel. He admits it’s a riddle; but there are strong senses of loss and despair – a hopelessly tainted paradise. He went to Tahiti to find paradise – it was based there – but found none. When finished, he climbed the mountain and attempted suicide by drinking arsenick. Had he failed? Or had his task finished? Uncertain.
But are people really asking these sorts of questions today? The book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, which sold 5m copies, is described as one woman’s spiritual investigation. Julia Roberts gave it to all her friends for Christmas, and is starring in a film of it. Eats in Italy, Prays in India, Falls in love in Bali. A cherry-picking spirituality that highlights people’s desire to find the answers to these questions.
Damien Hirst, Where are we going? Where do we come from? Is there a reason? 2000-4
A deliberate reference to Gauguin, but changed the last question deliberately. A depressing statement of death, closed systems, evolutionary theory.
If people you know aren’t into fine art, start with Gavin & Stacey. Check out advertising, and its offer of fulfillment. There is an astonishing use of religious language in advertising!
it satisfies the thirsty and helps the weary;
it adds life;
it’s the real thing;
it’s beyond global refreshment;
always coca-cola.
- various Coca-cola adverts
UCLA tackled the question of diversity and justice, a huge question on the campus, by using a large number of visual stimuli outside, as well as questionnaires and music, with the aim of getting people into evangelistic bible studies. See IV website to learn about the case study. www.intervarsity.org
2. To illustrate a point.
Ann’s husband Lindsay explained the meaning of Christmas with the Tate Modern’s annual Christmas tree competition, highlighting what people think Christmas is about and the futility of the hope a material Christmas offers. He then moved on to Rembrandt picture in National Gallery:
Rembrandt, Adoration Of The Shepherds
Note the light coming from the baby, much brighter than the light coming from the lamp; the rafters make shape of cross that anticipates what is to come. A wonderfully simple scene that displays the meaning of Christmas.
3. Worldview analysis.
To get at a worldview behind the art.
Os Guinness used to use ‘Winter Light’, a film by Ingmar Bergman. It’s about a Lutheran pastor who has lost his faith. One of his parishioners asks him about the meaning of life, but he can’t answer him; the man commits suicide and the pastor concludes that there is no God. The colours are dark; there is no hope. Yet at a key point, a woman close to the pastor points out: what always surprises me is your total indifference to Jesus Christ.
A friend of Ann commented at the end: “That made more sense than any sermon ever had.”
It made sense because the film shows the problem of where we are at. Many non-Christian artists expose this problem differently, and we ought to use it!
Chocolat – fun, watch it with chocolate! A woman moves to a village during lent when they shouldn’t be eating chocolate, and opens a choc shop to tempt them to eat chocolate.
Considers themes of temptation, abstinence, tolerance, hypocrisy, pleasure, how to get to God.
Mamma Mia!
Feelgood, brings much needed relief from credit crunch; the highest grossing film ever at the UK box office.
Nay gave a talk on ‘Why does Mamma Mia make me feel so good?’ CS Lewis – God puts those desire in us to point us to Jesus.
How to use film?
Can be good, can also be very bad. Sometimes use clips, sometimes use the whole thing. Some films are so overwhelming that emotionally people are not ready for it. Some won’t stay after to talk anyway.
France – an evening where they eat, watch film, discuss; create an atmosphere to do it.
‘My mates don’t want to engage and talk about film!’
Be realistic and start small. Go to an early showing and have time afterwards to go for a drink and pray for an opportunity. Pick up on one small point or comment that causes even a small amount of discussion; over time it will build into discussion. The great challenge to the gospel is triviality, but there will be points of deep resonance within people when they watch film. What are the ‘rush points’ when you watch it – when do you get a rush? Why?
4. Reception history of the bible.
How has the bible been mediated in our culture? Often people are reacting to what they perceive to be biblical when it might not be accurate. eg Consider Mary Magdalene: how has she been portrayed in art and cinema? How does that compare with the Bible’s teaching?
Two women: Eve and Mary Magdalene. Could do it with any biblical theme or person.
(i) Eve.
Gen 3 – the first to be tempted and sin. How it is permeated in our culture. Belgian beer label, The Forbidden Fruit. Intriguing that Adam and Eve are used so much in advertising! Suspicion of the first sin being sexual. Desperate Housewives.
What’s this case against Eve based on? Blamed because she was approached first; often argued that she was the weaker. Satan attacks human nature where it is weakest: Eve – Luther; and that she was Satan’s accomplice in seducing Adam. So she is often perceived to be more guilty than Adam. And Satan is often considered a mirror image of Eve – female – in the major art works of the western world – Michaelangelo, Cistine Chapel in Rome. Notre Dame in Paris.
You are the devil’s gateway
- Tertullian
Once she had become a temptress, only a little imagination was required to make the first sin sexual. Where the bible is silent, generations of commentators have been happy to fill in the gaps and exploit the moral frailty of the weaker sex.
Eve was full of proud self-presumption
- Augustine
She was more puffed up than the man.
- Aquinas
Result – Adam becomes a tragic hero; it was against his better judgment.
He was unwilling to distress the love of his love
- Luther
He was fondly overcome by female charms
- Milton
It is the ‘way of the world’ to be swayed by a woman. Sometimes Adam disappears and it was only Eve to blame.
It is worth noting that sex was in Genesis 2; it was a good idea, and it was not part of the Fall. When God judges them, he finds them both guilty, and both punished the same way – to hard labour and death. All their relationships are now disrupted – God, each other, the earth.
Adam and eve Together at last (2004) Damien Hirst
(ii) Mary Magdalene.
Has generated an enormous amount of interest in the western world – in art, cinema, literature. Especially in France. Magdalen College! The Da Vinci Code, The Passion. Why so interesting?
In a sense her image encapsulates every era, shaped to fit different ages. A reformed prostitute becoming a devoted follower of Christ. Where does this scarlet woman come from?
Not the New Testament – here she is merely one of Jesus Christ’s followers, present at crucifixion and first witness to the resurrection. The legend is a fictional re-creation. Gregory the Great merged three different women to create a composite Mary Magdalene: Luke 7:36-50 (probably a prostitute); Mary of Bethany – often assumed to be the woman who anointed Jesus prior to his crucifixion in Matthew 26:10-13; and Mary Magdalene herself on Easter morning went to anoint Jesus with spices.
Plus, the ‘Golden Legend’ – bestseller in Europe. She legged it and ended up in Provence, France, where she lived as a penitent, paying for the evil of her past life, and then assumed to heaven – escapes death!
What we’ve overlooked in all this is that she was the first witness to the resurrection.
Rembrant van Rijn, Christ and St Mary Magdalene at the Tomb 1638
