| This dissertation proposes a "Healthy Model for the Arts" wherein art is understood as a means of dynamic communication in three directions: God toward humanity (G-H), humanity toward God (H-G), and human being[s] toward human being[s] (H-H). God's communication toward humanity (G-H) is expressed in ministry---which includes prophecy, teaching, and proclamation. Humanity's communication toward God (H-G) is expressed in acts of adoration, praise, and prayer. Human communication with other human beings (H-H) is expressed in acts that celebrate life.; Chapter One presents a cycle that represents the phenomenological rise and fall of the arts in culture. The cycle begins with the healthy use of the arts then follows the fall of the arts into debauchery.; Chapter Two examines and assesses the arts as a voice of God as seen in direct address, prophetic address, corporate address, and ministerial address. The biblical instance of Paul's Fool (2 Cor 11:21b-12:10) is used as an example of cultural arts used in a ministerial address.; Chapter Three presents the theory of the agogic situation. Building on the work of Ray Anderson, who defines an agogic moment as the moment of change, this chapter explores these elements of an agogic situation: (1) a crisis (2) an advocate to those in crisis (3) an art form that presents the Word or Work of God in the situation (4) the encounter with the art form that moves the crisis toward resolution and those in the crisis toward change. The biblical stories of the Bronze Serpent (Num 21:4-9) and Nathan's rebuke of David (II Sam 11-12) are retold to illustrate the agogic moment.; Chapter Four examines the use of dance as an expression of praise which is a subset of the second mode of artistic communication, humanity toward God. The use of dance is explored in scripture and in Dante's Paradise, with special attention given to David's dance (II Sam 6).; Chapter Five looks at the use of dance as an example of the third mode of artistic communication, celebration of life. It focuses on the processions and pageants found in scripture and common in the middle ages. Here again, Dante's Paradise is used as a reference to illustrate the use of arts in a cultural setting.; The dissertation concludes with three appendices: Appendix A offers a detailed explanation of the "Circle of the Arts" that was introduced in Chapter One. Elements from Plato's philosophy and Abraham Kuyper's theology of art are used as insights with which to define the use of art. Appendix B presents an example of how the arts can fall in a society. Specifically, it describes the collapse of western performance art in South Africa in the year 2000. Appendix C contains an excerpt from the Book of the Bee, which is referenced in Chapter Two. |
