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A Redemptive Theology of Art develops a biblical, systematic, and practical theology of aesthetics. It begins with the roots and ontology of aesthetics (vs. "art") and the architecture and narrative of affection and passion, their woes and their glory.
Those who would search the Bible find little support for "art" as commonly conceived in the West. The language of aesthetics, applied to the maker's intentions, the qualities of the work, and the responses of the audience, better addresses the questions of beauty, and better suits the discussion of human actions, beliefs, and culture than the language of art does. The Bible yields more consistent and helpful answers to questions about the broader category of aesthetics than it does to questions about art; leading in turn to better questions and a more practical and theological appreciation of human affections, beauty, and delight, and the many paths by which people, including Christians, pursue them.
Using the categories and definitions from Scripture, Covington gives hope and help not only for those who labor in the arts, but for everyone who cares about the passions that motivate us. We were made for God's delight, and, though sin and bondage plague our passions, God can shape our fun, feelings, desires, affections and aversions. Feelings are neither objective nor subjective; they are redeemable. Borrowing key ideas from other Christian writers on the arts or aesthetics, Covington explores the connection between orthodox Protestant theology and a responsible, respectful treatment of arts, artists, and all aesthetic fields of human work and speech.
List of contents
Chapter 1: The Power of Beauty
Chapter 2: Art or Aesthetics?
Chapter 3: The Aesthetic Bible
Chapter 4 The Eye of God
Chapter 5 Aesthetic Genesis
Chapter 6 Triads, in Scripture and in Culture (Synchronic view)
Chapter 7 Three-Stranded Story (Diachronic view)
Chapter 8 The Aesthetic Effects of Sin
Chapter 9 The Aesthetic Cross
Chapter 10 The Aesthetic Effects of Redemption
Chapter 11 Theo-Analogy, a Theology of Aesthetics
Chapter 12 Pleasures Forevermore
Chapter 13 Conclusion. Magnificent: Seeing God in Aesthetics
Chapter 14 Eyes Redeemed and Redeeming: Cultural Conversations and Case Studies
Acknowledgements
End Notes
Bibliography
About the author
David A. Covington (DMin, Westminster Theological Seminary) is a singer and songwriter. He studied art and music at UCLA, made several albums, and hit the road with his wife, Sharon, as a touring duo, Covington & Covington, singing and speaking at colleges, clubs, conferences, retreats, churches, and schools around the United States and in Russia. His musical interests drew him to study biblical aesthetics, first at L’Abri in Switzerland and then at Westminster Theological Seminary. Together David and Sharon counsel and teach for church and schools, keep writing and recording, and mentor young Christian grad students at the Trinity Forum Academy. They now reside on their homestead in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Summary
A Redemptive Theology of Art develops a biblical, systematic, and practical theology of aesthetics.
Additional text
'Covington is a musician, a husband, and a true lover of Scripture. The decades he has spent integrating those callings makes this book a masterpiece. He equips those of us who want to take to heart God’s aesthetic preferences, even as we read the more jarring passages of the Old Testament and our lives.'
