"What is the place of art in the Christian life? Is art- especially the fine arts of painting and music- simply a way to bring in worldliness through the back door? We know that poetry may be used to praise God in, say, the psalms and maybe even in modern hymns. But what about sculpture or drama? Do these have any place in a Christian life?"
In the opening lines of his essay "Art in the Bible," Schaeffer introduces the main argument of the text. Here, he asks the question of how we might reconcile religion with creative pursuits. He also asks about the place of art within religious life, and how we might integrate art into a Christian life in the best way.
"As evangelical Christians, we have tended to relegate art to the very fringe of life."
Here, Schaeffer notes the tendency of many Christians to disregard art as being an unimportant part of life. This is something he does not agree with and makes this argument in his essays. Overall, Schaeffer argues that art is one of the most important things in life, and is one of the best ways to celebrate God's creations.
"Those who feel that art is forbidden by the Scripture point first to the Ten Commandments."
In his essays, Schaeffer considers why religious people might be dubious about art. Here, he points to a certain passage from the bible which people often use as evidence that art is not encouraged as part of the Christian life:
"Thou Shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath."
