tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post7342000838985307032..comments2024-02-22T17:07:38.225-08:00Comments on Diary of an Arts Pastor: On the vocation of an artist: part III: The artist as prophet (I)w. david o. taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08048604209388355706noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-58271606604857461042012-08-30T09:13:34.271-07:002012-08-30T09:13:34.271-07:00Tamara, that makes good sense. We need to properly...Tamara, that makes good sense. We need to properly define each term (as best as possible), we need to keep them distinct, we need to recognize that context significantly shapes the meaning of each term, and we need to think carefully how we relate the two if we believe it's important to the way that we clarify the vocation of an artist.<br /><br />That's the task. In short.w. david o. taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08048604209388355706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-30162845164453490832012-08-30T08:41:00.144-07:002012-08-30T08:41:00.144-07:00Trying to keep my brain fresh on this subject, Dav...Trying to keep my brain fresh on this subject, David. Good, good thoughts here. If "prophet" is a vocation/role/gift of some in Christ's church maybe that definition also suffers by us attaching "artist" to it? In the same way Jonathan points out the problems with "true art" having to = "prophetic art" maybe we hinder the definition of "true prophet" by requiring of her an artistic/physical expression? If I'm following you, I guess I'm advocating we break up a sort of co-dependent relationship between the two terms while still making room for them to relate at times, when appropriate. Does that make sense? (it's possible I'm just shooting bull here because my brain is really tired) tamarahillmurphy.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04557381125830169728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-27850970689355102492012-08-29T12:31:56.570-07:002012-08-29T12:31:56.570-07:00Marc, as you say, definitions are everything. Marc, as you say, definitions are everything. w. david o. taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08048604209388355706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-23813691912520818112012-08-29T10:33:09.876-07:002012-08-29T10:33:09.876-07:00Insightful series! I think I’m of the same opinion...Insightful series! I think I’m of the same opinion as you.<br /><br />I would guess the artist-prophet situation is partially created by confusion with what a modern prophet is. That is, we struggle to accurately define prophecy, its role, scope, inclusivity, source, and practice under the messianic covenant. As such, we tend to liberally define anything that impacts us spiritually as being, on some level at least, prophetic. <br /><br />Look forward to your thoughts! Thanks David.<br />Epichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17682816895560340794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-84518629577852529102012-08-29T00:37:28.328-07:002012-08-29T00:37:28.328-07:00David: Shoot me an email of where to send it. I wa...David: Shoot me an email of where to send it. I was just looking at it today and revising some parts. Though I am a year out of school, it remains a living document. =)<br /><br />assinkj(at)gmail(dot)comJonathan Assinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877207703912151182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-762109007896501902012-08-28T12:28:50.247-07:002012-08-28T12:28:50.247-07:00Justin, apologies for the delay. I went on a mini ...Justin, apologies for the delay. I went on a mini vacation with my family and I'm just returned. I think your question about whether prophets "receive" their message through sight or sound, eyes or ears, is very perceptive. The implications for artists and for those of us who professionally engage in theological reflection on the Scriptures is significant. <br /><br />And you're right to point out that there will be false prophets roaming the streets and screens, as it were. Perhaps in contrast to the time of Israel's life, we don't have the easy ability to say, "Here absolutely is the good prophet, here is the false prophet." Perhaps some are better "prophets" than others, though none of us gets it perfectly right all the time. I'll raise some questions related to this issue in my follow-up blog.<br /><br />Jonathan: fabulous observation. I love it. And I think you've identified a dynamic that makes me nervous in these kinds of discussions of the artist as prophet. It tends to privilege one kind of art-making over many, many others, and I'm not sure that's the most helpful way to categorize the vocation of artists.<br /><br />The "outsider" status of artmaking might be alluring for some artists in our society, but I think it's silly and toxic for believer artists to seek it out or to embrace it unquestioningly or to allow their persons to be circumscribed by this kind of self- identification. While it might appeal to a certain feeling of specialness, I think in the long run it hurts their capacity to be bound up in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church for which Christ died and which is essential for our basic health as Christians (even if it's not always exciting).<br /><br />Any chance I might read your thesis?w. david o. taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08048604209388355706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-46756427619636200622012-08-27T11:00:45.341-07:002012-08-27T11:00:45.341-07:00While I wrote my graduate thesis on this topic, an...While I wrote my graduate thesis on this topic, and argued in favor of the artist as prophet, I am coming to also see the problems this creates. Holding "true art" and "true artists" as exclusively the realm of prophet-artists seems to demean or devalue general creativity and craftsmanship. I don't know how to craft a prophetic piece of furniture, but there is certainly artistic merit in fine woodcarving!<br /><br />I also look at the lives and suffering of the Biblical prophets and wonder if that is too much to ask of our church artists. Mentoring and counseling young artists of faith takes on new gravity if it means preparing them for a life of ostracism and "outsiderness".<br /><br />I look forward to your next post in this series David! Your work has always been thought provoking and encouraging to me!Jonathan Assinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877207703912151182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-6908167556192171962012-08-23T11:31:22.615-07:002012-08-23T11:31:22.615-07:00Great series...
Before moving out of the artist a...Great series...<br /><br />Before moving out of the artist as prophet post, two wandering thoughts…<br /><br />First, I go back and forth as to if a prophet primarily hears or sees and how that would change some of the verbiage in seeing an artist as a prophet. I suppose one can listen with both eyes and ears though.<br /><br />Second, all of the characteristics of the artist prophet listed are positive… however, if there are prophets, there are also false-prophets who’s special sight is self-serving, who’s authenticity is narcissistic, who bounds and gag’s truth/beauty/goodness, and who’s critic of culture never includes and examination and transformation of self.<br /><br />Now, I’m not of the camp that only “Christian art” is good, in fact I vibed with a recent article [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/cultivare/2012/05/the-dark-light-of-thomas-kinkade/] that probably would have painted Thomas Kinkade as a false prophet. Conversely, God has communicated with me more through “non-Christian” art, even when it was to show the antithesis of some truth. However, there is still a pastoral concern for the artist as to whether their intent and toward-ness is for God. To paraphrase and contextualize a Lewis thought, are the artists creating as mere tools or as sons/daughters of God? They will be used one way or another, but the spirit in which they create or prophesy matters greatly.<br />CurrentlyProphetic.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12247804970437178963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-53173404071498868612012-08-22T14:24:23.342-07:002012-08-22T14:24:23.342-07:00Zac, you're a good man.
-- The someday-soon ...Zac, you're a good man. <br /><br />-- The someday-soon Dr. Taylorw. david o. taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08048604209388355706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-37360172659004251272012-08-22T12:31:32.282-07:002012-08-22T12:31:32.282-07:00I'll be curious, too, to read what is said. T...I'll be curious, too, to read what is said. The logic for me at this point is simply observing how artists appear to <i>often</i> in relation to culture. Perhaps it can be debated that artists should be called prophets, but I'm finding it hard in my (admittedly limited) understanding of it all to deny that many artists and art-pieces operate in a <i>prophetic</i> capacity. I'm looking forward to your wisdom on this, Dr. Taylor.Zac Hickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05321302866279712381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-36396095604184943262012-08-22T12:17:43.113-07:002012-08-22T12:17:43.113-07:00Thanks, Mark. Me too.Thanks, Mark. Me too.w. david o. taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08048604209388355706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22105457.post-12061587638545967392012-08-22T09:53:37.503-07:002012-08-22T09:53:37.503-07:00Can't wait for the next installment.Can't wait for the next installment.Mark Allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04072220118369530450noreply@blogger.com