Art and Music: A Student's Guide
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Art and Music: A Student's Guide (Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition) Paperback – April 30, 2014
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“The virtues of this book are immediately evident. It asks the right questions, provides the right answers, and illustrates the claims made about art and music with analysis of examples—all within a context of the Christian faith and the Bible.”
—Leland Ryken, Emeritus Professor of English, Wheaton College
“Drake and Munson know that our minds and imaginations require training to work as intended. They know that failure to cultivate eyes to see and ears to hear prevents us from perceiving the glory of God’s creation in great works of art and music. Their book offers courageous instruction for those open to attending to beauty.”
—Ken Myers, Director, Mars Hill Audio
“This incredibly thought-provoking book illustrates the relationship between art, music, and spirituality. In our day, it is particularly important to highlight these connections and provide an overall view. I am intrigued by the authors’ insights, and others will be as well. I enthusiastically recommend this book.”
—Manfred Honeck, Music Director, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
About the Author
Paul Munson (PhD, University of Michigan) is professor of music at Grove City College.
Joshua Farris Drake (PhD, University of Glasgow) is associate professor of music and humanities at Grove City College.
David S. Dockery (PhD, University of Texas) has been president of Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, since 1995. He is a much sought-after speaker and lecturer, a consulting editor for Christianity Today, and the author or editor of more than twenty-five books, including Southern Baptist Consensus and Renewal and Theologians of the Baptist Tradition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
L Elmers
on June 6, 2014
Format: Paperback
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A nice little volume that serves well both to elucidate what Drs. Munson and Drake call the "historic Christian view of beauty" and to illustrate the practice of appreciating visual art and music from an explicitly Christian worldview. Chapters 1 through 3 provide a cogent argument for why Christians should care about beauty in the first place, both in nature and as manifested through the "high" arts. Chapters 4 and 5 develop a philosophy-in-praxis by conducting (often delightful) formal analyses of selected visual art and music. Especially fine are the readings of Claesz's "Still Life with a Turkey Pie" and Fujimura's "Golden Countenance." The coupling of theory and practice in one volume make this a great resource for the Christian classroom.
If I had any criticism it would be that at key moments the analysis fritters away its energy in needless potshots at "the postmodern" a kind of catch-all figure upon whom is grafted various (and often abstract) intellectual sins: laziness, bad taste, relativism, moral depravity etc. The analysis is more helpful in those passages where it remains trained on the art object itself, including the passages that demonstrate (very clearly) how certain "popular" art does not bear up under the sustained formal scrutiny Drs. Munson and Drake advocate.
All in all I would recommend this book to Christians who are looking for a cogent formulation of the biblical "apology" for aesthetics - the authors deploy scripture consistently and rigorously throughout - and a practical guide to how to go about looking at "high" art through a Christian-intellectual lens. It's a quick read and well worth the time.
If I had any criticism it would be that at key moments the analysis fritters away its energy in needless potshots at "the postmodern" a kind of catch-all figure upon whom is grafted various (and often abstract) intellectual sins: laziness, bad taste, relativism, moral depravity etc. The analysis is more helpful in those passages where it remains trained on the art object itself, including the passages that demonstrate (very clearly) how certain "popular" art does not bear up under the sustained formal scrutiny Drs. Munson and Drake advocate.
All in all I would recommend this book to Christians who are looking for a cogent formulation of the biblical "apology" for aesthetics - the authors deploy scripture consistently and rigorously throughout - and a practical guide to how to go about looking at "high" art through a Christian-intellectual lens. It's a quick read and well worth the time.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Bethany
on April 26, 2014
Format: Paperback
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To many, becoming a student of art and music may seem like a limited scope of study; however, its range is far wider than one might imagine. As the authors argue, art and music preach God’s general revelation, so this book is really a resource on how to live more fully in our world. I found this book to be logical, easy to read and understand, helpful, and inspiring. If you are interested not only in art and music, but in how to steward your time and attention for the glory of God, you will be enriched by its pages. We live in a postmodern world of aesthetic relativism, and many underlying assumptions of this worldview have filtered even into the church. The authors clearly articulate the classic Christian view of beauty which will clarify this issue for many. They give a clear vision of what it means to know the beauty, truth, and goodness of God through the objective study of art and music. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It will open your eyes in a new way to see how the “heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1).
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By
Josh Mayo
on April 26, 2014
Format: Paperback
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This volume is the best introduction to a Christian view of the arts that I have ever read. While certainly a must for every young person’s college survival-kit, this student’s guide also earns its place in every church and family earnest about beauty’s role in the Christian life. Drs. Drake and Munson teach us how to look at art and listen to music, setting forth a winning apology for the reality and objectivity of beauty that is intelligent and intelligible, cogent and conversational, critical and kind. In a culture where even believers have largely forgotten this vital Christian doctrine, Art and Music: A Student’s Guide helps us reorient our leisure habits and assumptions toward a meaningful and God-glorifying life of appreciation and contemplation.
I recommend this book to everyone. It is not just an academic tool; it is a means of discipleship.
I recommend this book to everyone. It is not just an academic tool; it is a means of discipleship.
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