Christianity and the Arts

Definition and Meaning

Christianity and the arts is a subject concerned with the relationship between the Christian faith and the arts. It includes Christian art, church music, and architecture. Theologically, two strands of thought are discussed together. One grounds human creativity in God's creation and in the image of God that human beings bear; the other stresses vigilance against idolatry.

Biblical and Historical Background

In the second of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4), Scripture forbids graven images. At the same time, it records that for the building of the tabernacle God gave Bezalel and Aholiab wisdom in craftsmanship (Exodus 31:1-6). The Psalms contain praise offered in song and with instruments.

Early Christians left symbolic paintings in the underground burial places (catacombs) of Rome. In the Eastern Church, controversy over images arose in the eighth and ninth centuries, and at its conclusion the veneration of icons became established. In the medieval West, Gothic cathedrals and stained glass also served to convey biblical stories to believers who could not read.

During the Reformation, Martin Luther took a relatively tolerant view of religious images and placed great value on music. By contrast, the Reformed churches that followed Huldrych Zwingli and John Calvin removed images from their places of worship. In Calvin's Geneva, metrical psalm singing became the center of worship music. Later, Reformed theologians such as Abraham Kuyper used the concept of common grace to explain the value of cultural activity, including the arts.

Practice in the Korean Church

Korean Protestant sanctuaries are generally sparsely decorated and most often display an empty cross bearing no human figure. Differences among denominations are as follows:

• Presbyterian churches: In keeping with their interpretation of the Second Commandment and the Reformed tradition, they place few if any religious paintings or statues in worship spaces.
• The Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea: They make comparatively extensive use of altar decorations, religious paintings, and vestments suited to the liturgy (the prescribed order of worship).

Music is the most active artistic field in the Korean church. Traditionally, hymns and the choir were central; in recent years, contemporary Christian music (CCM) and worship teams have become widespread. Churches in the Pentecostal tradition were early to adopt modern instruments and praise gatherings, while some conservative Presbyterian churches place greater emphasis on traditional hymns and a reverent atmosphere. These differences have fueled an ongoing worship music debate.

In the visual arts, a series by Kim Ki-chang (pen name Unbo) depicting the life of Jesus with figures in traditional Korean dress set in Korean landscapes is frequently cited as an example of inculturation.