On the blurb of The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts, Cameron J. Anderson writes The Tension between Christianity and the arts is often real. But it also offers a false dichotomy. Many Christian artists think they must choose between their faith and artistic calling.

I have always been interested in that tension between art (in my case–fiction writing) and Evangelical Christianity.  In recent years, I have been reading nonfiction books that explore the complex relationship between art and religion. Some titles I have delved into include Art and the Bible by Francis Schaeffer, Art for God’s Sake by Philip Graham Ryken, Christian Imagination by Leland Ryken, Imagine by Steve Turner, Scribbling in the Sand by Michael Card, and Art + Faith by Makoto Fujimara. Through these books, I have been trying to grasp this intricate connection from a layperson’s point of view. Why does this tension exist? Is there a way to overcome the tension between art and Evangelical Christianity?

Anderson delves into this subject through eight chapters filled with valuable information. These chapters provide a historical context, exploring the origins of the tension and its impact on both religious and non-religious aspects of society. The book concludes by offering a vision of how artists can integrate their professional calling with their faith. Furthermore, he offers insights into his personal experiences as an artist and a person of faith, shedding light on the obstacles he confronted when trying to integrate these two elements into his life.

This paragraph in the introduction lays the groundwork for Anderson’s argument in the book: I write fully persuaded that art, in its most exalted form, can be used by God to transform women and men, to extend his common grace to the world and to lead the church to worship. I believe with equal conviction that the content and character of contemporary art could gain the gravitas that it seeks if the artists who produce it were able to discover or recover the deep things of God.

Artists require faith just as faith requires artists. The relationship should be characterized by interdependence, where both sides contribute and benefit.

Among the chapters in the book, my favorites were the fifth chapter titled “A People of the Book and the Image.” In this section, Anderson discusses the importance of reading, especially The Bible, and how Evangelical Christians sought to prioritize it as the primary means of deepening their faith through the principle of Sola Scriptura. And the sixth chapter, called A Semblance of a Whole, the author explores how both religious and non-religious artists have used words and images to communicate their ideas. Anderson investigates how artists who did not adhere to any religious faith sought to deconstruct their art and remove any traces of Christian influence. In concluding the chapter, he emphasizes that Christians who believe in the Bible should not prioritize the written word over visuals in their spiritual journey and should comprehend how Christ unifies all aspects of life.

The Faithful Artist: A Vision for Evangelicalism and the Arts provides a much-needed perspective on the intersection of art and Christianity, adding to the growing body of scholarship in this area. While I may not be familiar with all the historical details Anderson covers in the book, I have gained a general understanding of where this conflict between the arts and Evangelical Christianity originated. Furthermore, I have a distinct perspective on how to navigate two significant aspects of my life successfully, and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to others who are undertaking a similar journey.