Where Are All the Successful Christian Artists?
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Thomas Terry addresses the challenge of compromise in the life of the Christian artist, where career success is often pitted against faithfulness in the Christian life. Can success and faithfulness be coupled?
Thank you for this video! Definitely a need to re-align and re-define what success is. When I was 19, I had a brief vision of what my life would look like being an R&B/Pop artist, and I envisioned, imagined, call it what you will, coming home from a big tour to a nice condo...and it was completely silent. I came home to nothing. At that moment, I realized that I didn't long for or desire the world view of success, which had become my view of success at the time. I wanted a different kind of success. To have a home to come to and hear laughter, hug and kiss my wife, my kids. That became by desire (which indeed God has blessed me with a wife, and three beautiful and fun children). Now at 34, my artistry is about encouragement and pointing to Jesus. The "success" of reaching one person at a time, and helping them to stay encouraged, and strengthen their faith, through music. Christians, yes, we have fun to. We create uptempo music you can dance to, and the messages are more meaningful and fulfilling.
As a Christian, i will say that there are many successful Christian artists. They aren't going around calling themselves Christian artists though. The video is full of unquestioned assumptions, for instance the notion that one has to go to church every week to grow. There are Christians who are persecuted in many countries who do not go to church and they grow. Another assumption is that only actors and musicians (Hollywood types) are artists. There are Christian painters, writers, directors, screenwriters, etc in the world. Another assumption is that we know who all the successful Christians are. One of the biggest challenges to being a good Christian artist is that the Christian church in America defines what is Christian art. Because of this, many issues are not explored in the work of artists who trust in the Christian definitions. Christians from other countries may not be aligned with what American Christians think is truly Christian. As a writer, i have read many books by Christian writers. Those books are "successful" in the world and for certain kinds of Christians but are often empty and devoid of artistry. Therefore to me, they are not successful in any creative way.
My one quibble with this is about weekly churchgoing. The church is for the Christian. And we are commanded not to forsake the assembly. I never grew so much as a christian as when I was faithfully going to church.
It's important to note the Gospel is an offense, a stumbling block. For an artist to be completely Gospel oriented in the art they create is to create offensive art which will probably never be embraced by our culture.
cameron campbell Well it might not always bring offence. Nevertheless, what we might term success may not accompany a Christian artist if they are relying on the Holy Spirit for originality.
Friendly ex-Christian here here! :) It seems to me that successful Christian artists aren't people who would ever call themselves "Christian artists". Further, I don't think "Christian art" exists. Artists are going to make great art and pastors are going to want them to be more vocal and direct about their Christian faith. It should come as no surprise that most artists don't like being told what to do, what their art should be or how their art and career should exist in the world. Hopefully that's a helpful angle on this conversation.
Yes, you’ve added an insightful and important point. I kept wondering why when as an artist I created something that because I’m a Christian people looked for a/the gospel message in it. I clearly had not created it as a witnessing tool... but as art, an expression, an interpretation. So, it gets treated like a “fish out of water”, like “so what’s its purpose?” When an accountant (who is a Christian) does your taxes, no one examines their tax filing looking for a Christian message or crosses to be watermarked on the paper. Same with an electrician, an architect or a pilot. It definitely needs to be part of the discussion. Setting our own expectations first...
@@kimberlyspillers461 C.S. Lewis wrote a great essay about this exact thing. He wrote that the standards that make for great art is the same standards as those that make for great Christian art. I mean, what is "Christian" art anyway? Didn't God make the world and everything in it? I think this is overspiritualization and why so many "Christian" art is so bad.
Use the apostles as examples of success, every single one gave his life for the Kingdom
to be established save John and that was not because they didn't try to kill him.
Wow this is awesome my goodness this needs to be taught greatly
This might be the first TCG video that I disagree with. As a professional musician who performs full time in a symphony orchestra, I am surrounded and humbled by many colleagues who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. There are many believers who God has placed in many of the world's greatest orchestras as well as conductors, soloists, etc. And this is just my field. I know the same is true with every medium of art commercial or not.
We need to renew our mind and re define success, to live is christ to die is gain. praise God for the word.
Wow this is deep thank you so much for this word, it is so powerful.
Omggg I needed this !
A great synopsis of the problem of labels when it comes to art ( or people for that matter). Haven’t been able to explain this to my artistic friends or even my own spouse. I don’t think I even understood it, the dilemma of wanting to create but not wanting to be put into a mold. He made a good observation on what can and often does happen to a Christian when they get involved in the Christian music business, which is a huge grinding machine. I would say it’s also applicable to writers, and speakers,(Christian label vs novelist).
Totally agree!
Very insightful - thank you!
I hear the voice of sonicflood...worship leader?🤔💪😇 vocalist🥰
Dude, this was great!
This is clearly just an attempt to explain away the fact that Christian artist are not of value in contemporary society because the themes and tropes reflect the unsupported proposition of a deity. Artist don HAVE to trace 360 days a year. Hell, this is on UA-cam. There are many successful artists online and in the world that share their content with the world.