As I hinted at in my
last post, I have been pondering the nature of beauty within the context of a Christian worldview. In classical education, we embrace three themes: the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. Evangelicals today are generally good at identifying and loving the first two, but there seems to be some confusion with regards to the third. At best, we can pay lip-service to it, but have little by way of a conscious understanding of its place in our worldview. Nevertheless, we are all keenly aware of beauty in the world around us, creation itself being the most apparent. Still, I believe that we have improperly relegated beauty to the back-seat in favor of Truth and Goodness.
I love older buildings. Architecture of the past as a certain weight or gravity to it that inspires a certain amount of awe. There is place where this is more clearly seen than in churches and cathedrals. The majestic Gothic-style churches of Medieval Europe demand your respect and by its arches and buttresses and spires, directs one's gaze from things below to the grandeur of the One Above. Sadly, such sublime architecture fell out of favor with Christians and it is quite common to see churches building structures that could otherwise be mistaken for a Wal-Mart: big, ugly boxes. In many cases, the rationale given is that it was all the church could afford, or it was the only space available that would meet their needs. Yet, other times it is often taken as a point of pride that the structure they meet in is an ugly warehouse. Lavish buildings and ornate wood-work are a waste of resources that could be better spent on helping starving people or supporting missionaries.
While there is nothing wrong with helping those in need, or funding missionaries, I think Christians utilizing that kind of rhetoric fail to recognize the importance of beauty and begin sliding toward what eventually becomes a kind of gnosticism: only the spiritual is good and of any importance. While I do not accuse many Christians of adhering consciously to this, in many cases, it seems to be an implicit, unconscious zeitgeist of Evangelicals. Beauty is nice, but there are other things of more importance, they say. Such Christians would do well to heed what Scripture teaches about the importance of beauty. Consider the following thought:
"What, therefore, was to be in the temple? For one thing, the temple was to be filled with art work. "And he (Solomon) garnished (covered) the house with precious stones for beauty" (2 Chron. 3:6). Notice this carefully: 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." - Francis Schaeffer, Art and the Bible.
Note well why the temple was covered with precious stones: "for beauty." Schaeffer elsewhere in
Art and the Bible points to similar passages in which God gives Moses instructions for the Tabernacle and the sundry objects it was to contain. Details for things like a lampstand are given that include specific instructions for an almond leaf motif, again, "for beauty," are found throughout. Clearly God cares about beauty and the place where he was to be worshiped was to be beautiful.
Schaeffer hints at the reason why so many Christians forget about beauty: it had no utilitarian purpose. If it does not bring about a desired good end, it lacks utility. The American mindsight has become plagued by pragmatism and inflamed with utility to the point that it has tainted even our faith and practice. However, God does care about beauty and Scripture seems to indicate that he thinks it is valuable for its own sake. As such, a Christian need not be ashamed if he is fortunate enough to worship God in a beautiful building, or for spending money on a beautiful painting. The appreciation of beautiful things is simply another part of
a life of leisure, a life of wonder and worship that God has called us to. In Christ we are free to enjoy the beautiful things and praise him for them.