Addicted to Mediocrity: Contemporary Christians and the Arts (Paperback)

~ Franky Schaeffer (Author), Kurt Mitchell (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In this provocative book, Franky Schaeffer shows how Christians today have sacrificed the artistic prominence they enjoyed for centuries and settled instead for mediocrity. The evidence for this sad state of affairs abounds. We are flooded with "Christian" doodads, trinkets, t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc., that use God's name as an advertising slogan--"Things Go Better with Jesus"--putting the Creator of the universe on the same level as soda pop! Moreover, Schaeffer writes, "Whenever Christians, and evangelicals in particular, have attempted to 'reach the world' through the media--TV, film, publishing and so on--the thinking public gets the firm idea that, like soup in a bad restaurant, Christians' brains are best left unstirred."

But it doesn't have to be this way. Schaeffer shows how Christians who care can begin to reverse the slide toward mediocrity: by demanding excellence in the arts and media, and in all areas of life; by giving our time, talents and money to those things which are worthy of our support and are truly honoring to God; by staying away from the cheap, the shoddy, and the make-a-fast-buck mentality.

Schaeffer offers not only an unflinching critique, but specific and practical direction for becoming "unaddicted," and for recovering artistic excellence. The punch, humor and satire of the text is effectively enhanced by nineteen original drawings by Chicago artist Kurt Mitchell.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books; 5 edition (February 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0891073531
• ISBN-13: 978-0891073536
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #90,976 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Addicted to mediocrity, July 27, 2000

By	james cordrey (ardmore, pa United States) - See all my reviews

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.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A helpful perspective, May 11, 2004

By	L. Meyers "paculina" (El Segundo, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST-READ!, June 12, 2004

By	Barry Graham (USA) - See all my reviews

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.