The
question of whether Christians can be involved in
the arts can be explored from
both theological and historical perspectives, with a
foundation in biblical
principles.
Theological
Justification:
1.Creation
and
Creativity: The Bible begins with the act of
creation by God, as described in
Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth."
This act of creation sets a precedent for creativity
being inherently part of
the divine image in which humans are made (Genesis
1:27). If humans are made in
the image of a creative God, then artistic
expression can be seen as a
reflection of this divine attribute. Psalm 139:14
further emphasizes the beauty
of creation, suggesting an appreciation for
aesthetics and beauty, which the
arts often seek to express.
2.Artistic
Skills
in the Construction of the Tabernacle: Exodus 31:1-5
describes how Bezalel was
filled with the Spirit of God in wisdom,
understanding, knowledge, and all
manner of workmanship to devise artistic works in
gold, silver, and bronze.
This passage indicates that God not only endorses
but divinely gifts
individuals with artistic talents for sacred
purposes, directly linking art
with divine service.
3.Praise
and
Worship: Psalms, often considered poetry, are a form
of art used in worship.
The Psalms are filled with expressions of emotion,
beauty, and truth, which are
fundamental to artistic expression.
4.Parables
and
Storytelling: Jesus Christ used parables, which can
be viewed as an art form of
storytelling, to convey spiritual truths (Matthew
13). This use of narrative
arts by Jesus demonstrates that storytelling, a key
component of many art
forms, can be a vehicle for teaching, moral
reflection, and spiritual growth.
Historical
Context:
·Throughout
history,
Christian art has played a significant role in the
church, from the
stained glass windows of medieval cathedrals to
Western Christianity. These
artistic expressions have not only served aesthetic
purposes but have been
instrumental in teaching the faith to the
illiterate, conveying theological
concepts, and fostering communal identity.
Defensive
Against
Criticism:
·Some
might
argue that involvement in the arts could lead to
idolatry or distraction from
spiritual matters. However, this concern can be
addressed by ensuring that
artistic endeavors are directed towards glorifying
God, educating the community
about faith, or reflecting on the human condition in
light of biblical truths.
Colossians 3:17 advises, "And whatever you do in
word or deed, do all in
the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the
Father through Him."
This suggests that all activities, including arts,
can be sanctified when
performed with the right intention.
In
conclusion:
From
a biblical standpoint, Christians can and are
encouraged to participate in the
arts as part of their worship, service, and
reflection of God’s creative image.
The arts can be a profound means of expressing
faith, teaching doctrine, and
engaging with the broader culture in a manner
consistent with Christian values.
Title:
Christian
Participation in Politics: A Biblical Examination
Introduction:
The
question of whether Christians can engage in
politics is both historically
relevant and theologically complex. This discussion
will explore the biblical
foundations that either support or challenge
Christian involvement in political
spheres.
Biblical
Considerations:
1.Render
Unto
Caesar (Mark 12:17, Matthew 22:21):
·Jesus'
response
to the Pharisees regarding taxes, "Render to Caesar
the things that are
Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's,"
suggests a level of
engagement with secular governance. This statement
acknowledges the existence
and legitimacy of political authority, implicitly
sanctioning involvement to
some degree.
2.Paul's
Instruction
to Authorities (Romans 13:1-7):
·Paul
explicitly
instructs Christians to submit to governing
authorities, which are described as
"instituted by God." This text forms a primary
argument for Christian
political involvement, suggesting that by
participating in politics, Christians
can influence these God-ordained structures for
good.
3.Leadership
and
Wisdom (Proverbs 8:15-16):
·Proverbs
states,
"By me [wisdom] kings reign, and rulers decree what
is just."
Here, wisdom, personified, claims authority over
rulers, implying that
Christians, who should seek wisdom, have a role in
governance to ensure
justice.
4.Prophetic
Roles
in Society (Amos 5:24):
·The
prophet
Amos calls for justice to "roll down like waters,"
indicating a
prophetic duty to speak about societal and political
issues. This suggests not
just passive acceptance but active engagement in
advocating for justice.
5.Daniel
and
Joseph: Political Figures in the Bible:
·Both
Daniel and
Joseph were placed in high political offices in
foreign governments. Their
roles involved navigating political landscapes to
serve God's purposes,
demonstrating that political involvement can be part
of a divine mission.
Counterarguments:
1.Separation
from
Worldly Systems:
·Some
interpretations
of scriptures like 2 Corinthians 6:17 ("Come out
from them
and be separate") might suggest a withdrawal from
worldly systems
including politics. However, this passage primarily
addresses moral and
spiritual separation rather than physical or
societal disengagement.
2.Temptation
of
Power:
·The
Bible warns
of the corrupting influence of power (1 Samuel
8:10-22), which might lead some
to argue against Christians engaging in politics
where such temptations are
rife. Yet, this can also be seen as a call for
vigilance rather than
abstention.
A
specific argument against involvement in politics
or voting:
The
assertion
that "the country was not started as a Christian
nation; therefore, a
Christian should not vote or engage in politics" can
be refuted on both
biblical and logical grounds as follows:
Biblical
Refutation:
1.Christian
Civic
Responsibility:
·Scriptures
advocate
for the engagement of Christians in civic duties.
Romans 13:1-7
explicitly states the need to submit to governing
authorities, which implies
active participation in the political system to
ensure these authorities are
just and God-fearing. This passage does not suggest
withdrawal from political
involvement but rather engagement to promote good
governance.
·1
Timothy 2:1-2
instructs believers to pray for those in authority
so that we may live peaceful
and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This
directive inherently
involves understanding and influencing the political
landscape to foster an
environment conducive to Christian living.
·Jesus'
command
to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things
that are God's" (Mark 12:17) implies a dual
responsibility where
Christians are to be involved in secular affairs
while maintaining spiritual
fidelity.
2.Biblical
Examples
of Political Engagement:
·The
prophet
Daniel's involvement in the Babylonian and Persian
courts (Daniel chapters 1-6)
illustrates how a faithful servant of God can engage
in politics without
compromising his faith, thereby serving as a model
for Christian political
involvement.
·Joseph
in Egypt
(Genesis 41-50) used his administrative role to
enact policies that saved many
lives, demonstrating that political power can be
used for moral and beneficial
ends.
Logical
Refutation:
1.Historical
Context
vs. Modern Application:
·Even
if one
were to argue that the country was not founded
explicitly as a Christian
nation, this does not logically preclude Christian
participation in modern
governance. The nature and role of a nation can
evolve, and Christians have the
responsibility to contribute to this development in
line with their values and
ethics.
2.Separation
of
Church and State:
·The
concept of
separation of church and state in the U.S. context
ensures that the government
does not establish religion, but it does not bar
individuals from bringing
their religious convictions into the public square
or influencing policy
according to those convictions. Therefore,
Christians are free to engage in
politics to reflect their faith within the bounds of
secular law.
3.Moral
Influence in Governance:
·Christians
have
historically influenced laws and societal norms
towards justice, peace, and
human dignity based on Judeo-Christian ethics.
Abstaining from politics would
relinquish this influence, potentially leading to
policies contrary to
Christian teachings on human values, justice, and
compassion.
4.Voting
as
Moral Action:
·Voting
is an
act of moral agency where Christians can express
their values in the public
sphere. Not voting would be to abdicate this
responsibility, which contradicts
the Christian call to be "salt and light" in the
world (Matthew
5:13-16), influencing it positively.
The
statement “The country was not started as a
Christian nation; therefore, a
Christian should not vote or engage in politics”
contains a logical fallacy
known as non sequitur (Latin for "it does not
follow"). Here's how:
Premise:
"The
country was not started as a Christian nation."
Conclusion:
"Therefore,
a Christian should not vote or engage in politics."
The
fallacy lies in the fact that the conclusion does
not logically follow from the
premise. Here's why:
1.Irrelevance
of
Historical Foundation to Current Participation: The
historical foundation of a
country, whether it was established with or without
religious intent, does not
directly dictate the appropriateness of religious
individuals participating in
its political processes. The premise might be about
the origins or initial
intent of the nation, but this does not inherently
relate to the rights or
duties of individuals based on their religious
beliefs today.
2.Rights
and
Duties: Modern democratic societies generally uphold
the right of all citizens,
regardless of religion, to participate in political
processes like voting or
engaging in politics. The premise does not address
whether the country's
founders intended to exclude Christians from
political participation; it only
states the country's founding wasn't explicitly
Christian. This does not
logically lead to a conclusion about the
participation of Christians in current
political activities.
3.Assumption
of
Exclusivity: The conclusion assumes that only
nations founded with explicit
Christian principles should allow Christian
political involvement, which is an
arbitrary and unfounded restriction on personal
freedoms and civic duties. This
assumption overlooks the principle of separation of
church and state, where
individuals can hold and act upon their religious
beliefs while participating
in secular governance.
4.Misconception
About
Civic Duty: Voting and political engagement are seen
as civic duties or
rights in many democratic systems, not contingent on
the religious nature of
the state's founding. The argument fails to
recognize that Christian values
might include civic participation as a form of
stewardship or service to the
community.
In
summary, the conclusion does not logically follow
from the premise because a
country's historical religious identity (or lack
thereof) does not dictate
individuals' political participation rights or
duties based on their current
religious beliefs. This fallacy is a clear example
of a non sequitur, where the
connection between the premise and conclusion is
missing or illogical.
In
conclusion:
The
assertion that Christians should not engage in
politics due to the
non-Christian founding of a nation is neither
supported by biblical texts
advocating civic involvement nor by logical
reasoning concerning contemporary
societal roles and influences. Instead, both
scripture and logic suggest
Christians should actively participate in political
processes to uphold and
promote Christian values.
In
Summary:
Biblically,
there
is a strong foundation for Christian involvement in
politics. The
mandates to submit to, respect, and even influence
political authorities for
the sake of justice and righteousness are clear.
However, this involvement must
be approached with discernment, aiming not at
personal gain or the accumulation
of power but at the service of God's will for human
society. The biblical
narrative supports Christians not only participating
but actively shaping
political landscapes in accordance with divine
principles of justice, mercy,
and humility.
While
the Bible does not provide a comprehensive political
theory, it offers
principles that can guide Christian engagement in
politics. This involvement
should be reflective, prayerful, and focused on
embodying the teachings of
Christ and the prophets in the public square.
The
above study was Groked, under the direction of Jack
Kettler, and perfected
using Grammarly AI.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth.” (2 Timothy
2:15)
Mr. Kettler is an author who has previously
published articles in the Chalcedon Report and Contra
Mundum. He and his wife, Marea, are active
Westminster, CO, RPCNA Church
members. Mr. Kettler’s extensive work includes 18
books defending the Reformed
Faith, which are available for order online at
Amazon.