Best on Theology and Art

I'm thrilled to be reposting thoughts and meditations of Dr. Harold Best, Dean Emeritus of my alma mater, whose insightful (and sometimes challenging) works/words have been one of the foundations of my development in thinking about theology and art and in becoming a worship arts pastor.

At base, culture is an interaction between what people believe and what they make.  Its forays into idolatry will be seen in the extent to which things believed and things made are dependent on or equal to each other.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only forum in which things believed and things made are unconfused, properly differentiated, and fully integrated.  For the Christian mind—the biblically theologized mind—truth and beauty are not confused, relativities and absolutes are properly defined, creature and Creator are wisely separated, means, ends, and offerings are wonderfully clarified, and gift and Giver set in eternal hierarchy.  Thus the arts are never elevated to a place of means or end.  They are simply and purely offerings—perfume—poured over the feet of Jesus, while others catch the fragrance, first of Jesus and only then, the gift.

You can read the rest here.