Assignments for this course take the form of written summaries, research, and analysis. They are designed to help us work through the course objectives, while keeping a focus on our spiritual growth through conceptual learning.

For each assignment, please develop a document and submit it to me in either Microsoft Word or HTML format (your word processing software should permit you to do a "save as" and choose either of those formats).

Foundations-Philosophy of Instruction 

As an introduction to instruction, I believe we must first lay a strong foundation regarding creativity, knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.  When I think of these characteristics, the first thing I do is reflect on and seek the Lord who created humanity and everything else - the Master Artist (Jesus Christ).  In fact, the Lord tells us that, “The earth is His [the Lord’s], and everything in it, the world and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1, NIV).   

As creative beings made in the image of God, we must always search for ways to express His creativity through us to make His presence known to the world and to help humanity see the reality of a God who loves them, who was willing to pay the ultimate price for their redemption so that they could have a relationship with Him.  God is capable of meeting us right where we are at in our lives and the creative arts can help express this reality.  How wonderful it is for us to be used of God to bring forth His message in the creative arts because the creative arts have a way of directly speaking to and touching the heart in ways that other forms of communication do not.  The creative arts, when expressed from a humble heart surrendered to God, are a wonderful way to see how “we do not have a high priest [Jesus] who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in everyway, just as we are---yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NIV).  This is why we can approach Him with confidence “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16, NIV).  Therefore, what better Person to be connected with than the very Creator (Master Artist) Himself.  Only in Him, not in the creation, is all knowledge and understanding for He is the very Author of life.   

The Lord is the Master Artist.  The Word of God provides much information regarding creativity, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and relationship.  Therefore, our foundation for this course will be centered on the foundation for life – God’s Word (the Bible). 

What about those “Artsy Types”? (Excerpts taken from The Heart of the Artist by Rory Noland)

How do you know if you are one of “those artsy types”?  If you love music, drama, literature, art, film, photography, dance, sound or lighting, if you love doing artistic things—singing, playing, performing, writing, creating, or expressing—chances are you have some kind of artistic streak, large or small or somewhere in between.  You might be someone trying to pursue a career in the arts or someone who dabbles in the arts as a hobby.  Maybe the extent of your artistic involvement is that you sing in the back row of the church choir.  You might be an ‘amateur’ or you might be a ‘professional.’  You might be a performer a creative person or both.  Perhaps you work with artists or live with an artist, and want to understand us ‘artsy types’ a little better.  Unfortunately, there are certain negative stereotypes that are attached to people with artistic temperaments.   

Many people struggle with character flaws such as selfishness, pride, perfectionism, jealousy, envy, emotional imbalance, and lack of discipline, but Christians with artistic temperaments will face all these issues at various points of their lives if not throughout, simply by virtue of being artists.  We do not stumble on these character issues by chance; they are part of our nature.  It is what comes with being artists.  The church often handles artists in one of two ways.  We either ‘coddle’ artists and put up with their shortcomings or we use and abuse artists.   

Character is a primary issue facing artists in the church today.  Starting with the ancient Greeks, people with an artistic temperament were labeled as melancholy, which is somewhat misleading because not all artists are predominantly melancholy.  The great news is that God has redeemed the artistic temperament.  If you are in Christ, you are a new creature: “the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV).  Yes, in Christ, there is such a thing as a transformed, well-adjusted, Spirit-filled artist.  Imagine what God can do with an artistic temperament that is completely surrendered to Him.  He does not look at us as “those strange artsy types.”  After all, He made us.  He loves us, He understands us and without question He has called us as artists to bring redemption and reformation to God’s good but fallen world.  He created us with a sensitive heart and to appreciate nuance and beauty.  David was an artist who marveled at the evening sky and wrote, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).  For sure, He has called us to engage culture and cultivate His creation (Genesis 1:26-28; 2 Corinthians 3:6).   

Assignment #1: 

Text:  Read Chapter 1(The Vision)  

Application:  Prayerfully consider these concepts:

v      The difference between believers and unbelievers is that we might agree that humans have dignity yet disagree over the source of that dignity.  We might agree that human have been separated from their original destiny but disagree over how and when that took place.  We might agree that humans need to be transformed but disagree over how that can be achieved.

v      Christians have seemed to acknowledge a work hierarchy.  Evangelists and those in “full-time ministry” are at the top.  Doctors, nurses and people in the caring professions come next.  Then, there are teachers, policemen and the great mass of workers.  Artists, media representatives and people in show business are probably in the lowest possible group if they are mentioned at all.

v      Christian can, and should, be involved in all areas of culture.

v      If Jesus is truly Lord, that means that He is Lord of mealtimes and storytelling, banking and business, art and culture.  If Jesus really is Lord of our lives, then there is no area of life which that He cannot fill.

v      The arts remain an important forum for debate in our culture.  Although it is not the primary concern of all artists to make statements about the human condition or to create a commentary on the times, it is inevitable that many will do so simply because the instinct of the artist is to ask questions about origin, identity, behavior, and destiny.

v      Art plays an important part in shaping our understanding of the world.  Art tends to show rather than tell.  It allows people the opportunity to experience another way of seeing the world.

v      The Christian artist will often be an irritant, disturbing the anthropocentric (humanistic) view of the world that fallen nature naturally gravitates toward. 

Using your Bible (which you will cite scriptural passages from) and your text (which you will cite specific quotes and or paraphrases with page numbers) as primary sources, compose a 5-6 page commentary on how Christians can and should engage popular culture.  Explain your personal understanding and experience of your role in the arts.  You may want to think about these questions as you compose your commentary:  How is the gift of creativity expressed in you and through you?  What does it mean to be ‘in the world but not of it? How can your position as a Christian determine shifts and changes in society and culture?  Be sure to express your ideas completely and follow MLA writing standards. 

Assignment #2: 

Text:  Read Chapter 2 (The Church) and Chapter 3 (The World) 

Application:  Prayerfully consider these concepts:

v      The problem that has affected the church down through the ages with regard to art is the decision of what areas of life (how much of life) is truly governed by Christ.

v      Christians in the arts are misunderstood by the ‘secular’ world because of their faith but they are also misunderstood by the church because of their art.

v      Art only becomes an idol when it replaces God.

v      The modern temptation is make art with the intention that it becomes idolized.

v      Truth is not exclusive to believers.  We accept this in the areas of the natural sciences (medicine-biology, space exploration-astronomy) but not necessarily in the humanities and social sciences (philosophy, psychology,etc.) and the arts (visual, fine, and performing arts).  Christians sometimes reason that if unbelievers are “darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18) they can never come up with any accurate insights into the human condition.

v      The truth that sets us free is not human wisdom but Christ, the Living Truth.

v      We become worldly not by engaging with the world but by allowing it to shape our thinking.

v      Wrestling with worldly ideas is one way in which our minds are renewed.  It challenges our assumptions and threatens our complacency. It sends us back to the Bible and forces us to seek God.

v      There is no reason to insist that the parables Jesus told were accounts of actual events; they were stories to ‘illustrate’ truths.   

Reflect on the concepts listed above and ask the Lord to show you how they apply to your life and to your art.  As you receive direction and revelation from the Lord, write down your comments and observations regarding these concepts.  Be as detailed as possible when writing your observations and comments.  You are also encouraged to support your comments with scriptural references.  When you complete the assignment, submit a copy (an attachment) to me.  Your submission will be a basis for class discussion on our identity as Christians and our calling (responsibility) as artists.  Therefore, to receive full credit for this assignment, you will need to submit a copy of the observations of your television program or film and fully participate in class discussion.  Even though this assignment will not be a formal essay per se, please still express your ideas completely and adhere to MLA writing standards. 

Assignment #3: 

Text:  Read Chapter 4 (The Split) and Chapter 5 (The Bible) 

Application:  Prayerfully consider these concepts:

v      The power of effective communication of the Gospel is not a question of artistry in any form, it is about credit given to the Spirit of God.

v      When Christians think of the arts as something that can be used to win the world to Christ, they create on unrealistic expectation of the arts and put unfair pressure on artists.

v      The truly Christian worldview is far more pervasive and often less obviously religious than people imagine.  C.S. Lewis stated that the Christian worldview is not just about us having the ability to see Jesus but that by and because of Jesus we can ‘see’ everything else.

v      The Bible has no equivalent division between secular (temporal) and sacred (spiritual) in the believer’s life because anything good in the temporal world can be ‘set apart for God,’ in other words made sacred. 

v      The arts can act on God’s side by preserving beauty and drawing out the highest possible achievements by humans.  The arts can help preserve and renew cultures and this is a good thing in itself.  The arts can sharpen the vision, quicken the intellect, preserve the memory, activate the conscience, enhance the understanding and refresh the language. This must bring God great pleasure.

v      The doctrines of creation, fall and redemption are foundational to any Christian understanding; therefore, if we get any of these three wrong, our theology, and therefore our art, will be warped.

v      Creativity is not merely permissible, it is essential.  It is what God wants.  To express ourselves in art is to experience more fully the richness of being human. 

Reflect on the concepts listed above and ask the Lord to show you how they apply to your life and to your art.  As you receive direction and revelation from the Lord, write down your comments and observations regarding these concepts.  Use your comments and observations as a basis for a 4-5 page response to the sacred/secular dilemma:  Do you believe that our Christian life should be “compartmentalized” into ‘sacred’ and/or ‘secular’ activities? Why or why not? You are encouraged to support your comments with scriptural references and follow MLA writing standards. 

Assignment #4 

Text:  Read Chapter 6 (The Mind) and Chapter 7 (The Times) 

Application:  Prayerfully consider these concepts:

v      Some Christians, particularly those who have been brought from deep despair, are more aware than others of the stark contrast between the old and new ways of perception.  They not only see God in a different way but they see themselves, others and nature in a different way.

v      The fact that Christians are aware of an eternity ahead and spiritual realms around them alters their perspective on everything else.

v      Christians develop a view of the world where all of creation points to God.

v      For the Christian, the cross is the event in which everything finds it resolution.

v      Artists like grapple with many of the same questions that concern philosophers and theologians, and so it is not surprising that new philosophical and theological ideas impact art.

v      Christians often equate cultural influences with religious influences and this can cause problems with their worldview.

v      Christians often ignore the pressing questions of the day, mainly because they fear that even to understand the issues in depth might weaken their faith.

v      The artists who ultimately gain respect have an imagination that is big enough to embrace trends but also, ultimately, to transcend them.

v      Christians need to be more able to anticipate cultural trends than their nonbelieving counterparts.  We (Christians) have a conversational relationship with a God who knows what the future holds. 

For this assignment, use your Bible (which you will cite scriptural passages from) and your text (which you will cite specific quotes and or paraphrases with page numbers) as your primary sources.  Write a 5-6 page commentary-analysis on how Christians can be equipped to be agents of redemption in the world of the arts without giving into the fear of compromising their faith.  Explain your personal understanding and experience of your role in the arts.  You may want to think about these questions as you write your commentary-analysis:  How is the gift of creativity expressed in you and through you?  Why is it important to develop a solid, Spirit-filled Christian worldview when engaging in the arts? How can your position as a Christian determine shifts and changes in society and culture?  Be sure to express your ideas completely and follow MLA writing standards. 

Assignment #5 

Text:  Read Chapter 8 (The Witness) and Chapter 9 (The Life) 

Application:  Prayerfully consider these concepts:

v      The best art does not tell people what to believe but enables them, for a short while, to see things differently, and the Christian can enable people to momentarily glimpse the world through eyes that have been touched by Christ.

v      Our motives for wanting to be in the art world need to be examined because the arts can do ‘wonders for the ego’ and therefore attract those whose major motivation is to be known and recognized.  This kind motivation is often fueled by an individual’s sense of rejection or inadequacy that he or she may have experienced in childhood. These issues need to be dealt with because even wanting to be artist in the service of God sounds like the purest of motive, but it can be corrupted due to unresolved issues.

v      The lack of fellowship with a recognized body of Christians is the most common cause of the weakened faith artists which eventually makes them ineffective in their call for God.

v      If the quality of the Christian’s spiritual life suffers, then he or she will never be able to compete with the best that the world can offer.

v      Much of our art making is instinctive.  What compels us to create is something inside that needs to get out.  That is why the quality of our interior life is so important.

v      If we want to see art that challenges the prevailing secularism, we need artists who are not only skillful but also theologically well equipped, grounded in fellowship and living obedient lives.  Christianity is not a mere philosophy, it is a spiritual relationship that results in changed thoughts and actions, and it will only rub off on our work if it has first of all permeated our lives. 

Reflect on the concepts listed above and ask the Lord to show you how they apply to your life and to your art.  As you receive direction and revelation from the Lord, write down your comments and observations regarding these concepts.  Be as detailed as possible when writing your observations and comments.  You are also encouraged to support your comments with scriptural references.  When you complete the assignment, submit a copy (an attachment) to me.  Be as detailed as possible with your comments and submit a copy (an attachment) to me.  Your submission will be a basis for class discussion on being an effective vessel for Christ in our art.  Therefore, to receive full credit for this assignment, you will need to submit a copy of the observations of your television program or film and fully participate in class discussion.  Even though this assignment will not be a formal essay per se, please still express your ideas completely and adhere to MLA writing standards. 

Comments for the Final Project 

The Final Project for this course acts as your final exam.  It is worth 25% of your total grade.  Instead of administering the traditional, objective, short answer/short essay exam format, the concept of a formal paper/project will allow you to integrate the knowledge you gained from this course as well as refine your writing and analytical skills.  In my personal experience both as a student and as an educator, excellent communication and analytical skills are essential to success in any human endeavor.  Whether your desire is to serve in a church or church-related vocation, in various other ministry capacities, or in public and commercial sectors, your ability to effectively communicate will ensure your opportunities to excel and fulfill God’s purpose for your life.  God is a communicator and He also created us to be communicators.  Therefore, I encourage you to see this project as one of exploration and growth where you can joyfully discover new ways that God may be revealing His purpose for you.  I pray you gain the greatest benefit from your time with the Lord and what He will show you as you pursue your area of particular interest for the Final Project. 

FINAL PROJECT 

Produce a work of art based on your particular creative medium (music, visual arts, drama, film, literature, etc.) for your final project.  

Based on your chosen artistic medium, submit visual images (digital pictures of visual artworks), video images (wmv files or mp3 files), audio samples (wmv or mp3 files) and/or musical scores based on your skill and background or any other elements that pertain to your creative medium.  In addition to the production aspect of your final project, use your artwork and your Bible to discuss how you were inspired to produce your particular artwork and the message you believe God has given you to communicate in your work of art.  This is the text portion of your project and it can be any length; however, be as detailed in your discussion as possible and follow MLA writing standards.    Allow the Lord to reveal to you how He can transform you into the person and artist He designed.  Consider everything that the Lord showed you in this course.  I believe this will be for your benefit because the greatest desire that God wants for you is to have a fulfilling relationship with Him which will also be reflected in your art.  Approach the Final Project with an open heart, perhaps even as a conversation between you and the Lord and watch how He works in you and through you.  May you continue to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29-30). 

For review on MLA writing standards, go to the following link:

MLA FORMATTING AND STYLE GUIDE (From Purdue University)