Customer Reviews

Addicted to Mediocrity: 20th Century Christians and the Arts

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is a rare treat because Schaeffer does what few others have the courage to do: take Christians to task for their flawed views of God, art and man.

If the book is at times stinging in its criticism, that is only because it is so accurate that it makes us wince, and rightly so.

Schaeffer's discussion of the utilitarian approach to art which the Evangelical community has adopted, and the further discussion of how the effects of that have crippled the church in some significant ways, is sobering.

The often abrasive tone is reminiscent of the prophets in the Old Testament who challenged and prodded God's people. Schaeffer serves that same purpose here. Much like Leyland Ryken's book The Liberated Imagination, Addicted to Mediocrity urges us to recapture the Imago Dei - the truth that we are created in God's image and that therefore we are all creative in some fashion.

For the past 20 years, at least, artists who are also Christians have been pushed farther and farther to the fringes by the evangelical community, force to justify their art to skeptical evangelicals who search for an exact accounting of evry line in a poem, or every brush stroke in a painting.

This book is encouraging to me as as artist, and opens the door for further exploration with the understanding that "Art needs no justification" as Schaeffer says.

This book gave me a much needed perspective on a struggle I have as a Christian with creative endeavors. That is, as a Christian, are there subject matters that I should avoid? Should everything have some type of evangelistic or religious significance? Some Christian creators also struggle with wondering if the time and attention they devote to their craft could, would or should be better spent in some "Christian" or church activity.

Schaeffer answers all those questions with a resounding NO! As Christians our goals should be to enjoy God, and to glorify him by doing our best in whatever creative thing we do or discerning and encouraging the best in others, whether it has any outward significance spiritually or practically or not. There is no division between secular and sacred. We live our whole lives in dedication to God, not just the church parts. Everything we do reflects on us, and on our God. It's a horrible mark on the church for those who claim to know God to produce sloppy, contrived, knock-off work of any kind. Christian media often has a cheesy, low-budget, thrown together, poorly done, cheap quality about it, instead of being comparable or better in quality to its secular counterpart. Schaeffer argues that this should not be! And he's absolutely correct.

I would recommend this book to others with this struggle. He does help to clarify what the role of art and the pursuit of excellence is in the life of the Christian living before an unbelieving world and before the face of God and in the eyes of God Himself. Although I must partly agree with other reviewers that he sometimes slips into rants and soapboxes about other issues such as abortion and TV. I only partly agree because I could see how it was connected to his main point, so I didn't see it as being irrelevant.

I have to wonder whether some of the above reviewers that are critical of this book have even bothered to read it. Do you need concrete evidence of the existence of mediocre efforts in the Christian community? Take the time to walk into any Christian bookstore, or take a casual look at the state of "Christian TV". His book predated the fall of Jim and Tammy Baker as well as Jimmy Swaggart.

Schaeffer's remarks are succinct and to-the-point. He is remarkably restrained in reviewing the (then) current state of artistic activity in American Christianity. His words have proven to be amazingly prophetic. Get this book if you have ANY interest in a clear look at "true spirituality" in regards to the arts.

If you're a Christian involved in the arts, you MUST read this.
Even though the book was written back in 1981, Franky's comments about contemporary evangelicalism indulging themselves in propagandizing, sloganeering bad art with the label "Christian" slapped on it is more relevant that ever.

Franky attacks the false notion that if you're a Christian and you are an artist that any art you do MUST have an overt, and obvious "Christian" theme to it. Creativity in and of itself is Godly, and good and Evangelicals need not slap a cheap propagandizing slogan on it to justify it.

Likewise, Franky tears down the false assumption that some actions in the Christian life are "spiritual," (ie . reading your Bible and praying) while others are "non-spiritual" (ie playing with your kids.) All of the Christian life is spiritual.

I can't recommend this book enough!

This book is an excellent book on how Christians have compromised their once great devotion to worshiping God through creativity and in other 'secular' ways. Franky argues that there is no separtion between secular and sacred. We can worship God (even)by painting, even if it doesn't have some Biblical scene! Franky speaks of how Christians have narrow mindedly decided only things that are practical are good (following the pragmatic worldy ways)instead of simply worshiping God in all that we do. Overall Franky writes a very compelling argumen

Not anger but healthy, funny cynicism makes the tone of this book both an easy read and very convicting and eye-opening. The truth in this book applies even more now than it did when he wrote it! The trends within the church that he writes against in this book have actually gotten worse, not better, in the last 20 years. He links it all to the utilitarian paradigm first introduced through evolutionary theory--amazing! Isn't evolution what evangelicals are so hard-core against? And all this time, they've been operating out of a paradigm rooted in that theory. Time for you to read this book and then do something about this...

This is a very thought-provoking book dealing with Christians and the arts. All too often, mediocrity is actually encouraged by "Pop-Christian" thought processes - people too seldom ask hard questions, and evaluate things such as art and music by very superficial criteria.

I agree with the author. I find many of the creative attempts of the mainstream Christian culture very bland. I feel that we have lost many of the traditions of great writers like C.S. Lewis and artist working in a myriad of other genres. However, aside from communicating his premise and a few morsels of truth this book falls on its face. I was left to puzzle out specific examples of mediocre art, no specific examples were given. Further the author also jumps into tirades about abortion. Abortion is wrong, but what does that have to do with the arts?

I wish that the author had some training in classical argument, or had hired a ghostwriter to present his arguments. If he had I might not be left with the irony that his book is mediocre.

This should be mandatory reading. It takes to task the pabulum that is Christian art. A timely book for today's fast food Christian mentlity. A much neeed indictment of the Christian camp's artistic selling out. As a Christian and an artist, this book lifted the burden and helped to clear the haze of confusion surrounding the responsibility of Christians in the marketplace whereas artistic expression is concerned. Also, ART & THE BIBLE, by Francis Schaeffer and ART NEEDS NO JUSTIFICATION, by H.R. Rookmaaker are excellent books.

This book is both inspiring and liberating. Inspiring because it would encourage artists to start working and stop discussing about what is "christian" arts. Liberating, because it would free us from the fear of being criticised, free us to do what we do best. The Q & A portion was most helpful. Kurt Mitchell's illustrations are witty! This book is a work of art, I am tempted to frame it and hang it on the wall!