Customer Reviews

The Liberated Imagination: Thinking Christianly About the Arts (Wheaton Literary)

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The intro lists the key doctrines related to the arts. other highlights (for this painter/art educator)include chapter 2: "What the Bible says about the Arts", ch.4: "The World of Imagination", ch.7:"What is Christian Art?". the summaries at the end of the chapters, along with the lists for further reading and bibliographies are also very valuable. readable & helpful. I appreciate the hard questions that Ryken asks, and his devotion to the arts and literature in a day that embraces trivial pop culture.

Lee Ryken offers the world of biblical scholarship a wake up call to an all too often ignored subject in church circles - the arts. the question of how exactly those seriously pursuing a life of artistic integrity melded their passion with Christ and his message - has been a tight-rope walk for the christian artist for decades. Insightful and well written, this book brings to bear a reconciliation of too-often-thought diametrically opposed disciplines into a marrage of calling and creatorship.

Ryken's clear prose makes this book stand out from other introductions to the arts. The organization of concepts and examples give readers a good grasp of basic issues within specific art forms. Ryken also identifies Christian philosophies of the arts, assisting the reader to articulate his or her own philosophy through development of or comparison to the ideas in the text. I have used this text successfully with advanced high school students as well as with college students. Enjoyable reading--not dry!