Discovering Beauty, Goodness, and Truth

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By Russ Ramsey on March 24, 2023 , ,

How Artists and Their Art Can Point Us to the Creator

 with Russ Ramsey, Author of Rembrandt is in the Wind

 We see everything!

In our visually oriented world, media, film, and art shape our minds for good or for bad using illustrative images. Rather than passively allowing these images to influence us, author Russ Ramsey suggests instead that we pursue beauty, goodness and truth through the lenses of great artists and art. This can impact the way we begin to view all of life and ultimately focus on the Creator who made us and gave human beings the ability to create.

In this interview with Russ Ramsey, you will not only learn what influenced some of the greatest artists in history but will also be given an approach to looking at art through the eyes of faith. This in turn will hopefully expand your vision and give you some practical ways to both create and enjoy the work of others.

Additional Resources

Over the past 47 years we have developed many publications, discipleship resources, videos, and tools to help you to grow in your faith. We hope you will take the time to look through all of them. Because you were interested in this event we have pulled together the following resources that we believe will be of interest to you.

Russ Ramsey loves art and he wants more and more Christians to love art. Not just for art’s sake; but for the sake of loving our God who made our world with so much beauty.

As we pursue “discipleship of the heart and mind” we know that art and beauty can enhance the “heart” part. Art lover Brett McCracken explores this and challenges us to pursue wisdom through the arts.

In this third part of the Developing Spiritual Discernment series, Gerald McDermott continues sharing on the topic of the reliable signs of spiritual discernment. This audio resource is part of a Series on Developing Spiritual Discernment.

Glory be to God for dappled things – For skies of couple-color as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough; And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

C.S.  Lewis understood the nature of military service from personal experience. At the age of 19 he served on the front lines during the First World War. He contracted trench fever and, after recovering from that, was wounded by shrapnel. He also saw friends killed. In May 1939, on the eve of the Second World War, Lewis wrote the following in a letter to Dom Bede Griffiths

During World War II, C.S. Lewis gave a series of BBC radio broadcast talks on the Christian faith. These talks established Lewis as a gifted apologist and defender of orthodox Christianity.

That’s what I would encourage parents to do, just don’t make a big deal out of it. Just leave guitars lying around, you know; I guarantee, the kids are going to pick it up. They’ll gravitate whether they make a career out of it or not. Everybody ought to be doing something, you know, adding to the beauty.

Russ Ramsey

Pastor

Russ Ramsey, is a pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He studied at Taylor University and Covenant Theological Seminary (MDiv, ThM) before becoming a pastor. Russ is the author of Rembrandt is in the Wind: Learning to Love Art through the Eyes of Faith, Retelling the Story Series and Struck: One Christian's Reflections on Encountering Death. His Art Wednesday reflections on beauty in art are posted throughout each Wednesday on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. His personal mission is to communicate the truths of Scripture in accessible ways to people in process.

 

COPYRIGHT: This publication is published by C.S. Lewis Institute; 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 301; Springfield, VA 22151. Portions of the publication may be reproduced for noncommercial, local church or ministry use without prior permission. Electronic copies of the PDF files may be duplicated and transmitted via e-mail for personal and church use. Articles may not be modified without prior written permission of the Institute. For questions, contact the Institute: 703.914.5602 or email us.

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