'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #22 - "TOTAL TRUTH" BY NANCY PEARCEY

Those who regularly read this blog know that I use different fonts. The font I chose for today is one Blogspot calls "Philosopher," and that's a fitting font for writing about "Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity" by Nancy Pearcey, who was influenced by Francis Schaeffer's L'Bri Institute. 

This book starts off looking at the major philosophical views, which she terms as lower story and upper story. Lower story, or Aristotlean, focuses on the physical, what we can sense, what we can explain rationally and logically. Upper story, or Platonic, is more focused on values, aesthetics, beauty, etc. The second section deals with evolution, pointing out that its popularity is because it's a plausible naturalistic creation theory. Part three of the book focuses on the role of truth with evangelicalism.

I do have some disagreements For example, she has the view that the various forms of creationism (i.e. both old earth and young earth theorists) ought to stop debating each other and turn our fight to the common enemy of evolution. While I see the rationale for her opinion, I also see why young earth creationists hold that view strongly. And while I'm sometimes hesitant to call myself evangelical, I am more in that camp than she is. Neverthe less, this is a book designed to make you think.

And if you want more, there's her follow-up "Saving Leonardo," where her focus is a history on the arts, looking at what she terms "two paths to secularism," which are the lower story (here called determinism) and lower story (or the continental tradition) theory from "Total Truth." She does a great job at looking at the two views. One thing is she showed several paintings which were large colored geometric shapes. There were artists from both angles that painted that way, but the determinist had solid dividing lines, while the edges of the continental was more fuzzy. By the way, there was also a picture in that book painted by my friend Grace Carol Bomer (Becky and I got to visit Grace's studio in Ashville about 25 years ago).

 

OUTSIDE THE CAMP BY GRACE CAROL BOMER

 PART 16 OF A 17 PART SERIES ON FAVORITE ART AND ARTISTS

Outside The Camp by Grace Carol Bomer

 My only time in an art studio (unless you count art labs in school) was in 2000 when Becky and I visited Soli Deo Gloria Studio in Ashville, NC, home of Grace Carol Bomer. One thing that impressed me was her painting "Outside The Camp," partially because I had recently memorized the passage from Hebrews 13:13: "Therefore let us go to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach." While there, I told her about one concept for a drawing I had and she told me to go for it. (22 years later, and it's still on my to-do list).

It's been a couple of weeks since I interviewed Grace for the blog. Also, her art is described in Nancy Pearcey's book Saving Leonardo. The book includes one of her paintings, "Weeping For The Wiping Of Grace" (right).

What do you think of this painting. Are there any works of art that you find a helpful adaptation of Scripture? 

For the interview, click here.

 

PENTECOST BY EMIL NOLDE

 PART 3 OF A 17 PART SERIES ON FAVORITE ART AND ARTISTS

One intriguing book I read was Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey. She focused on two ways to secularism, and the book was full of artwork reflecting on those paths. However, she also mentioned contemporary art that reflected a Christian point of view. On one page, she had a painting from Grace Carol Bomer, whom Becky and I had the privilege of meeting and seeing her studio in 2000, and to its left, what has become my second favorite painting of all time, Pentecost by Emil Nolde (1867-1956) (I'll be sharing my favorite picture a few days from now.).

There are individuals who I have mixed feelings of. I like a lot of Nolde's art, especially those with a faith motif, mainly because of its expressionist use of color (though I usually prefer realist and Romantic style of art). However, there are problems with Nolde. Namely, the German Nolde was a Nazi, and shared in the party's anti-Semitism. Nolde and Hitler weren't mutual admirers, though. The regime condemned his work, and in 1941 he was forbidden to paint, even in private.. So he was an obedient and didn't paint during that time ... except, like a true artist would, hundreds of watercolors which he hid and called his "Unpainted Pictures."

Back to "Pentecost." I'll admit that I like the painting better than Becky does. But I find it very moving, and capturing the power of the event.

What are your thoughts about this picture? Which pictures based on Biblical/Christian themes do you find moving? Are there artists (novelists, painters, musicians, etc.) who you enjoy their work but find yourself at odds with their beliefs?