TH 2423 Introduction to Theater
Dr. Larry A. Brown
THINK ON THESE THINGS: THE PLACE OF THE
HUMANITIES IN CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
As a student at Harding Graduate School of
Religion, I was required to answer a variety of questions concerning biblical
doctrine and theology, but the most frequently asked question came not from my
professors but from fellow graduate students. The scene usually went something
like this:
"So, where do you preach?"
"I'm not a minister."
"Youth director?"
"No, I teach at a Christian college."
"Bible
department?"
"No, drama
department. I'm a theater director."
"Oh . . . then, what are you doing here?"
At a conference of Christian educators and ministers,
I was again conspicuously out of place, dressed not in the usual clerical garb
of coat and tie but in my Amadeus
tee-shirt. One man asked if I was advertising the love of God in Latin, reading
“ama-deus” as a theological statement. When I
explained that the shirt was from a Broadway play about Mozart, he looked at me
as if I had just arrived from another planet.
Over the years I have become accustomed to such
puzzled responses. Apparently, most
people have not thought much about the relationship between Christianity and
the arts, or why a humanities professor would have any reason to attend
graduate school in religion. Furthermore, discussions in the political arena
often place art and Christian values in opposing camps, equating artistic expression
with an immoral worldview at best and pornography at worst. Despite the tension
between the two, I maintain that an interest in the arts and humanities is
compatible with Christian faith, and in the next few pages will make a defense
for the study of the humanities as a vital part of a liberal arts Christian
education.
Walter Scott, an early leader in the Restoration
movement, advocated a philosophy of education which provides several valuable
insights on this topic. In an 1841 issue of The
Evangelist he wrote: “The human mind is the brightest display of the power
and skill of the Infinite Mind with which we are acquainted. It is created and
placed in this world to be educated for a higher state of existence. Here its
faculties begin to unfold. The object of training such a mind should be to
enable the soul to fulfill her duties well here, and to stand on high
vantage-ground when she leaves this cradle of her being for an eternal
existence beyond the grave.”
Several points of his argument are illuminating.
First, incentive for the nurturing of the intellect derives from humanity's
role as the bearer of God's image. The human mind should reflect the excellence
of its source. Second, the development of our God-given abilities will reap
benefits now and in the life to come, thus we should focus on those qualities
which are eternal. Third,
Christian education encompasses more than the inclusion of Bible
study alongside an otherwise secular liberal arts education. In further
articles Scott recommends the integration of the four main disciplines--art,
nature, society, and religion--within the framework of Christian faith. True
education, according to Scott, produces an appreciation for beauty and
creativity in the work of God and humanity (nature and art respectively) as
well as an understanding of earthly and heavenly governments (society and
religion).
Acknowledging God as the ultimate source of all
human achievement in the arts and sciences, Scott's philosophy of education is
exemplary for its long-range vision and universal scope. It places him within
the tradition of earlier Christian humanists such as the 16th century reformer
Erasmus who, when asked how the study of Greek and Latin literature could
facilitate the understanding of biblical revelation, responded rhetorically,
"How does ignorance contribute to it?" Studied from the proper
perspective, knowledge of our world and the accomplishments of its inhabitants
may lead to a greater appreciation of the One who created all things for His glory.
Even Calvin, who was cautious about overrating human ability, wrote, "The
human mind, fallen as it is and corrupted from its integrity, is yet invested
and adorned by God with excellent talents" (Institutes 2.2.15). These men saw in the art and literature of classical
and Renaissance culture ample evidence of the great potential with which God
has blessed humanity.
Furthermore, I would argue that a biblical basis
for this approach is implied in Paul's exhortation to the Philippians (4:8):
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything
is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." While not
addressing any specific area of study, Paul establishes some basic principles
which should characterize the Christian's mental life, including a thirst for
truth, a delight in beauty, and an appreciation for excellence, wherever these
qualities may be found. Elsewhere in scripture the apostle demonstrates his own
familiarity with Greek poetry and philosophy, quoting Aratus
in Acts 17:28, Menander in I Cor. 15:33, and Epimenides
in Titus 1:12. The idea that all truth is God's truth and that everything which
is virtuous, admirable and beautiful finds its ultimate source in God
encourages the Christian to look to the arts and humanities as a valuable
repository of the most praiseworthy thoughts and achievements of human
civilization.
While the implications of these statements by
distinguished theologians and scholars could readily be explored in greater
detail, I have chosen to move from the philosophical to the personal level, and
in the remaining time will give seven reasons why I, as a Christian educator,
teach and promote the humanities, a term which refers to the interdisciplinary
field of study including art, literature and languages, music, theater,
history, and philosophy, or what one writer has defined as the accumulated
record of what human beings throughout history have done with their humanness.
First, and perhaps in my
mind foremost, I teach the humanities because they remind us of the unique
majesty of mankind. In Antigone, Sophocles writes
in the first choral ode, "Numberless are the world's wonders, but none
more wonderful than man."
Shakespeare's Hamlet remarks, "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty, in form and moving
how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how
like a god!" (2.2) These classic tragedies
depict the paradox of humanity's capacity for both great good and great evil
while affirming our ultimate worth. Lest anyone dismiss these sentiments as
mere human boasting, it is worth noting their similarity to the psalmist when
he says, "What is man that You are mindful of
him?" (Ps. 8) This is the principle question underlying all the
humanities: what does it mean to be human? David's answer, that we were created
a little lower than divinity and crowned with glory and honor, sets a precedent
for extolling the dignity and value of humanity, even in our limited and
imperfect condition.
The phrasing of the initial question is important.
Those who would ask "What is man?" without considering his
relationship to God seek in vain by starting from the wrong premise. The first
and last lines of Psalm 8 set David's admiration of humanity in the context of
his greater praise to God: "O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth." He credits God as the bestower of whatever glory and honor humanity might have,
just as elsewhere he worships the Creator for our being fearfully and
wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14). Such a high estimation of human worth and
potential may seem inconsistent with other biblical passages that emphasize the
utter sinfulness of humanity. Can this be the same poet who wrote, "All
have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one" (Ps. 14:3). We cannot ignore the
undeniable reality of sin and its mark on humanity. At the same time, we should
not assume that this disfigurement by sin has caused us to lose the image of
God in which we were created. Despite the effects of sin, this image persists
after the fall; for this reason we are not to take another's life (Gen. 9:6) or
even curse a fellow human being (James 3:9). Just as the stamp of Antonio
Stradivari gives value even to a broken violin, the fact that we bear God's
image endows fallen humanity with intrinsic and inestimable worth. Of all
people Christians have the proper perspective for appreciating the majestic image
of humanity seen in works such as Michelangelo's David,
Second, I teach the
humanities because they offer us a vision of greatness. This phrase was
suggested by Alfred North Whitehead's statement, "Moral education is
impossible apart from the habitual vision of greatness" (Aims 106). Christians as much as anyone need to pursue this vision if we are to reflect in our lives
the excellence of our Creator. Frank Gaebelein,
former editor of Christianity Today
and a Christian educator himself, argues, "Christians are obligated to
excellence because God himself is supremely excellent" (58). Likewise,
Francis Shaeffer has said, "Made in God's image,
man was made to be great, he was made to be beautiful, and he was made to be
creative in life and art" (Gaebelein 73). As the parable of the talents illustrates, we
displease God when we fail to use to the utmost the abilities and opportunities
he provides. We cannot settle for less than our best. As Christian educators
our first duty is to point students to the highest examples of excellence,
"namely, the most excellent of books, the Bible, and the most excellent of
all persons, Jesus Christ" (Gaebelein 144).
After that, one may turn to the humanities for examples of the highest
standards of excellence in human achievement. The writings of Plato and
Aristotle, the music of Mozart and Beethoven, the paintings of Leonardo and
Rembrandt have stood as pinnacles of greatness for countless generations and
continue to warrant our admiration and inspire our own creativity. These works,
to my mind, are some of the excellent or praiseworthy things Paul encourages us
to contemplate.
God has created us for greatness, but,
unfortunately, too many Christians have settled for less. In the words of Franky Shaeffer (son of the late
theologian), we have become "addicted to mediocrity" resulting in a
bargain basement version of the abundant life Christians are promised. This
attitude can in part be attributed to the unbiblical bias against art and
culture that is part of the theological baggage of Protestantism. Dividing up
life into sacred and secular compartments, we have separated ourselves from the
great works of philosophy, music, and literature, dubbing them worldly and thus
unimportant to our spiritual growth and well-being. This has resulted in an
anti-intellectualism that devalues the Christian mind and an anti-aestheticism
that depreciates the value of beauty in our daily lives and in our worship. For
evidence of the latter, I would point to the disappointing lack of
sophistication and depth, both musical and lyrical, in many of our contemporary
Christian songs. Only our best efforts should be offered up in praise to God as
dim reflections of His own glorious handiworks. As we will discuss in more
detail shortly, quality and beauty matter to God and should be included in our
list of Christian values. I believe that the study of the humanities can
inspire us toward achieving this vision of greatness.
Third, I teach the
humanities because they encourage the development of God-given imagination and
creativity. Every culture in history
has produced its own artistic signature, leading philosophers to ponder why
human beings have this inherent need to create. The author of Genesis provides
an answer both simple and startling: art serves as a witness to the image of
the Creator in humanity. Of all God's divine qualities, the first revealed to
us in scripture is His creative power. The doctrine of creation affirms that
creativity in itself is good. Before God made any human beings, He made a
universe that served no function other than to please Him. The act of creation
has intrinsic value because of its divine source.
The human impulse to create testifies to a similar
desire in our Maker. By composing, painting, writing, or performing, a person
fulfills one of the functions for which he or she was designed. For some, the
use of this creative talent may be a spiritual vocation. In Exodus 35, we read
of the calling of Bezalel, chief artisan of the
tabernacle: "Then Moses said to the Israelites, 'See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel . . . and he has filled him with the Spirit of God,
with skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--to make artistic
designs for work in gold, silver, and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in
wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic craftsmanship. And He has given
both him and Oholiab . . . the ability to teach
others.'"
In this passage several principles emerge which
should encourage any Christian artist today. First, art has a place in God's
will. As the originator of color, form, and texture, He appreciates the
aesthetic dimension of life and intends for us to do so as well. Second,
artistic ability is a precious gift from God. An artist should not hesitate to
express himself through his talents, knowing that their source lies in God's
own creativity. In fact, art may be one's vocation from God. Being an artist
was Bezalel's special calling, his ministry, and he
willingly dedicated his efforts to the divine purpose. Third, God desires that
the artist teach his knowledge of his craft to others. Creativity is not
intended to be a private experience but one shared with the community for
mutual enjoyment. Finally, of all that Bezalel
received, the most important gift was God's own Spirit (this is, incidentally,
the first recorded instance of the Spirit being given to a person). I suspect
he was doubly grateful for this divine assistance, for the task ahead of him
was awesome--imagine having to please God himself as a patron of the arts.
Unlike the pagans who worshipped their own handiwork, Bezalel
allowed his creativity to become a channel through which all Israel could
worship the true God.
Each Christian who has been blessed with creative
talent should rejoice in knowing that, by using his or her imagination to make something
beautiful, he or she participates with God in the creative process in a small
but significant way. Even those artists who do not acknowledge the sovereignty
of God in their lives bear witness to His existence in each creative act. As
Dante said, art is the grandchild of God (Inferno
Canto 11), who delights in His own creativity and deigns to share this joyous
ability with His children. As a teacher of the humanities, I want my students
to be able to say with Flannery O'Connor, "Because I am [a Christian], I
cannot afford to be less than an artist" (146).
In his Confessions
Augustine writes, "The beauty which flows through men's minds into their
skillful hands comes from that Beauty which is above their souls and for which
my soul sighs all day and night" (10.34). Thus, a fourth reason I teach the humanities is to cultivate an appreciation
of beauty. We seldom think
of beauty as a theological term, but Jonathan Edwards considered beauty to be
the most sublime concept we have to describe the essence of God. He called God
the fountainhead of all Being and Beauty and taught
that God governs not by brute force but by the power of attraction to His
infinite beauty. For example, we love a flower or a sunset simply for what it
is, not for how it relates to us, or how we can use or possess it. Likewise, to
love God for his beauty means loving Him not for what He can do for us but for who He is in Himself.
God's beauty proceeds from Himself into His
creation. When the universe was completed, when as recorded in Job 38:7,
"the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy,"
God evaluated His work as "very good," not in the sense of moral
goodness but as something pleasing in itself or
beautiful. For this world He designed such things as fruit trees which were,
according to Gen. 2:9, "pleasing to the eye and good for food," that
is, both beautiful and functional. Nature abounds with superfluous splendor.
Why create multiple species of plants and animals, tropical rain forests and
arid deserts, the mysteries of the deep and the wonders of space, except for
our enjoyment and His greater glory?
Finally, God provided mankind, His noblest
creation, with the ability to imagine, design, and create works of art to
increase this world's abundance of beauty. We have already noted the calling of
Bezalel, divinely commissioned to render God's
designs. Rather than skipping over the details as we usually do, read carefully
the passages in Exodus 35 and 2 Chronicles 2-4 which describe all the exquisite
work God required for the tabernacle and the temple. Patterns, colors, and
textures, fashioned from all kinds of wood, cloth, fine gold, precious
jewels--these "merely aesthetic" decisions mattered to God, so much
that He chose to record them for all posterity. These designs served no
function other than to be beautiful and to glorify God.
A greater appreciation of beauty in the creations
of God and man can awaken new perceptions and enhance the Christian life. By
capturing our attention and focusing it on the specialness
of a particular object or experience, art makes us conscious of the beauty
surrounding us that we otherwise might miss. In the words of Shelley (the
romantic poet, not the Nashville preacher), art "lifts the veil from the
hidden beauty of the world" (Defense
of Poetry, 1821). Studied within the context of a Christian world view
which acknowledges the source of all creative ability, an appreciation of the
humanities may also awaken us to the spiritual value of beauty, for as we have
seen, to perceive beauty is to know something about God, and to create beauty
is to share one of the attributes of God.
A fifth reason I teach
the humanities is that they provide unique perspectives on the truth of human
existence. Concerning the topic of
truth, we must first address a few misconceptions. John Keats once wrote,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," but from scripture we know that not
all which is beautiful conveys truth. Evil sometimes disguises itself in lovely
and appealing form. Paul told the Corinthians that Satan may masquerade as an
angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). Beautiful things may actually draw one's
attention away from God, as did the golden calf fashioned by Aaron. In his book
The Gift of Art, Gene Veith writes, "Human beings can make anything into an idol, can misuse any of God's gifts. But," he
continues, "fear of misuse is no reason to reject the gift" (13). As
in all areas of human understanding, what we learn from our study of history,
philosophy, art and literature must be examined in light of God's revelation of
truth.
Furthermore, contrary to Keats' statement, not all
truth is beautiful. Living in a fallen world, we should not expect all
paintings to be pretty or all stories to end happily with good victorious and
evil vanquished. Too often our tastes run toward these simplistic, sentimental
pictures of reality, but Christianity does not idealize the world in this
manner. Respect for truth calls us to appreciate art or literature which may
not conform to traditional standards of beauty as long as the artist portrays
the human predicament with integrity. The chaotic visions of Picasso or the
lost worlds of Samuel Beckett may strike some as ugly or unpleasant
representations of life, but they provide an unflinching look into deep
feelings of anguish about human existence. This does not mean that we should
accept the extreme despair which underlies most modern art and literature.
Christians must continue to present the other side of the truth, that a fallen
world is redeemable, that after the ugliness there is hope for renewal and a
return to beauty.
Although inspiration is a term often used to
describe works of genius, the truths to be found in the writings of Plato, the
plays of Shakespeare, or the symphonies of Beethoven cannot be equated with divine
revelation. Instead, aesthetic truth should be seen as self-revelation about
human existence, expressing what it feels like to be human. The humanities are
an interpretation of life, depicting the world through the eyes of a uniquely
gifted individual. When we read a novel or autobiography or see a play or film,
we vicariously experience another person's trials and triumphs, sharing for the
moment another's point of view. As we step outside our own limited circle of
perception, there arises the possibility for greater identification and empathy
with people of different persuasions. Exposure to such works opens our eyes to
how others see themselves and their world, allowing us to respond with greater
understanding and compassion. This ability to bridge existential barriers
between individual perspectives brings a moral dimension to the study of the
humanities that a divided world desperately needs.
Sixth, I teach the
humanities because they challenge us with ultimate questions. From
the legendary epics of Homer to the existential novels of Sartre, the classics
of Western literature have pursued the same timeless mysteries: What is the
meaning of life? Why are we here? What determines the highest good? Why does
evil exist? Why must we die? These are difficult subjects which most people
would rather not face. In today's climate of superficial values and immediate
gratification, too many of us are content to lead unexamined lives, which
Socrates felt was not worth living. In humanities courses we often hear
students complaining that they see little relevance to their immediate
educational goal of training for a specific occupation. However, courses which
focus on information and technique may fail to go beyond "how-to" to
ask the question "why?" I would argue that a pre-med student may
learn more about the value of human life in a literature or philosophy course
than in all of medical school. A business major may realize through a course in
art or music appreciation that there are riches other than monetary ones to be
enjoyed in this world. Life is too precious a gift to waste through aimless and
purposeless activity. Studying the humanities forces us to evaluate the reasons
behind the paths we choose and encourages us to take the highest road possible.
Seventh, and finally, I
teach the humanities because they cultivate aesthetic sensibilities which, I
believe, are eternal. As we have seen, the
capacity to appreciate beauty as well as the desire and ability to create
beauty are divine traits which we share with our supremely creative God.
Likewise, human reason and imagination are reflections of similar if more
splendid qualities of the Infinite Mind. In this life we honor Him by
developing these God-given talents to the fullest potential. Should we then expect
that these aspects of our humanity which reveal His image will simply vanish at
death? As we pass from this life to the next, we know that we will all be
changed but only to be made more closely in His likeness. If we possess
creative abilities now as fallen individuals, what heights of artistic
imagination will we reach as we become more like the Supreme Artist who
imagined the universe? Surely the aesthetic dimension of the human spirit will
only be augmented in the presence of the Source of all beauty and creativity.
Encountered within a Christian liberal arts
education, the humanities have much to offer our students pondering the
ultimate questions of life, the affirmation of human dignity and worth, the
vision of greatness, the value of imagination and creativity, and the
cultivation of qualities which will last for all eternity. Believing that all
intelligence and ability come from above, the Christian can approach the study
of the humanities with respect and admiration for the greatness of God-given
human potential while developing his or her own talents to God's glory. Being
human is a privilege which demands respect and entails responsibility. We
should not take our humanness for granted but should learn to appreciate and to
participate more fully in those qualities – communication, reason, imagination,
creativity – which we share with our divine Creator.
SOURCES
Allen, Ronald B. The Majesty of Man: The Dignity of Being
Human. Multnomah, 1984.
Delattre, Roland. Beauty and Sensibility in the
Thought of Jonathan Edwards. Yale UP, 1968.
Gaebelein, Frank E. The Christian, The
Arts, and Truth: Regaining the Vision of Greatness. Multnomah,
1985.
Holmes, Arthur F., ed. The
Making of a Christian Mind. InterVarsity, 1985.
Janaro, Richard P. The Art of Being Human: The Humanities as a
Technique for Living. Harper, 1984.
O’Connor, Flannery. Mystery
and Manners, ed. Sally and Robert Fitzgerald. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1979.
Schaeffer, Francis. Art and the Bible.
InterVarsity, 1973.
Schaeffer,
Franky. Addicted to Mediocrity: 20th Century Christians and the Arts.
Crossway, 1981.
Scott, Walter. "A Theory of True Education." The Evangelist 6 (Jan. 1838): 19-20.
---. "Hints
on Self-Improvement." The
Evangelist 9 (Aug. 1841): 183.
---. "The
State-System." The Evangelist
1 (Feb. 1837): 55.
Veith, Gene Edward. The Gift of Art: The Place of the Arts in
Scripture. InterVarsity, 1983.
Whitehead, Alfred North.
The Aims of Education, Macmillan,
1929.