Christianity and the Arts

Throughout much of church history, there was a close relationship between Christianity and the Arts. Much of the great art, sculpture, and literature was based on or directly represented themes, stories, and aspects of Christianity. Gradually, the arts turned away and focussed more on the world, the flesh, and the Devil. And the Church reciprocated, turning away from the arts to the point that now many Christians will have little or nothing to do with the arts. Seeking to restore the arts to their proper place in the framework of faith is Christianity and the Arts magazine. This quarterly magazine is devoted to bringing you artists, musicians, actors, writers, dancers, and cinematographers who celebrate God through their craft and to encourage Christian expression. The magazine has expanded from just a print magazine to add an Internet edition. This is not a copy of the print edition but is intended on using the web as a tool to build a community of Christian artists. The online edition includes a few articles form the print edition but also includes an art gallery (which posts some very nice art), poetry and fiction (excellent in both categories), an arts calendar (empty right now), and links to other relevant sites on the web. The music page has several albums noted with information on the artists and the reviews page has a number of reviews of current books. Guidelines are posted for submissions and there is a poetry contest. The site is well-constructed, works smoothly, and as you might expect from a group concerned about the arts, has a very nice look with high quality graphics. The site map is as plus–I wish more sites would include them. You can contact Christianity and the Arts at chrnarts@aol.com.

http://www.christianarts.net/