It’s not surprising that before the arrival of Christianity people gave thought to the process of creation in the arts. Nine goddesses were thought to be at the heart of it. Called Muses, they inspired actors, artists, dancers, musicians, etc. We find Milton taking up this point when he calls upon a muse to enable him to create ‘Paradise Lost’.
It is indeed extraordinary to consider how artists and others bring something out of nothing. Where there was a blank sheet of paper, there is a sonnet. Where there was silence, we find harmony. Some results are better than others. Some survive. Others are lost. But without the contributions that the muses were thought to have a hand in, the human scene would be that much more drab, dull and tiresome.
An obvious link exists between artistry and religion. The alliance has engendered magnificent architecture – perhaps the very idea of gothic – as well as literature that explores motivation and music that goes beyond words.
Christians have a distinctive view of this. Christians bring new light into the world. The Church is a creative organism with unpredictable achievements to its credit. If we had no conception of a third person of the Trinity, we should find the Church just one more institution. But the Church and its members bring something new and enduring into the world as a matter of course.
This does not make Christians infallible in their taste. It does not even guarantee that their products will be better than music or literature from a pagan. But the possibility of excellence is implicit in the inspiration of a Holy Spirit. We should be wary. Not every new idea in song, story or dance is worth celebrating. Time is usually the test.
If Clio, Calliope and co were once thought to be responsible for creative endeavour, we can hardly blame earlier generations. We should welcome Winnie the Pooh and Alice as well as more weighty contenders. We should also be prepared to dismiss what is flimsy.
CHAGALL
Described as ‘one of the most influential modernist artists of the 20th century’, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) gained a reputation for his stained-glass and many other aspects of his work, including biblical illustration. A French-Jewish, painter, he once said: ‘If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.’
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