This 13-session course was designed to help you think about art and literature from a Christian perspective, and how they do, or do not, illustrate biblical principles. In this quarterly pack, we look at how art and literature can reveal truth. These handouts can be used for personal study, but can also be used in a Sunday school class or small group to consider how God reveals himself through film, literature, and beauty.
Session One
The Source of All Beauty
What place does beauty have in the life of the Christian?
Genesis 1:26-28; Ecclesiastes 3:11-14; Psalm 27:4; 29:1-2; Ezekiel 16: 8-19, 23-25; John 1:1-5, 9-14
Evangelical Christians value truth and goodness—the truth about God, creation, sin, salvation, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. But we don't pay as much attention to beauty. Why not?
Session Two
How Literature Leads Us to God
When the road to faith is paved with great literature.
Proverbs 8:1-12; Luke 18; Acts 17
Mark Storer says his road to faith was paved with great literature. In this study we'll consider if God's truth can be found in literature, even the secular kind.
Session Three
Christians at the Movies
A Christian look at the modern art of film.
Genesis 1:20–31; 2:4–19; Exodus 35:30–35; Psalm 19:1–6; Romans 12:2, 4–8; Ephesians 4:11–13; Philippians 4:8
What is a proper relationship between the church and the arts? How has that relationship changed in recent generations? This study addresses these questions and more.
Session Four
David's Dance Across the Line
What some view as disrespect can be the holiest act of worship.
2 Samuel 6:1-8, 16-23; John 4:1-26
The image of King David dancing joyfully before the Lord in 2 Samuel is a powerful one. His dance teaches not only about how we might worship but, more importantly, whom we worship.
Session Five
Color Your Faith with Poetry
How finely crafted words help us pay attention to God's world.
Psalm 109:1-19; 2 Samuel 1:7-17; Psalm 148; Song of Solomon 4:1-8; Isaiah 40:18-26; Revelation 21:1-5a
Some stirrings of the heart and groans of the spirit don't translate well into prose or three-point reports. Why do we need poetry?
Session Six
Fresh Ways to Connect with the Gospel
Christianity must be presented so it reaches the whole person, not just the mind.
Genesis 1:26, 27; Exodus 35:30–36:2; 2 Chronicles 3, 4; 1 Kings 10:18–20; Hebrews 8:5; Colossians 2:16–3:2
We need to capture the imagination as well as the mind of the unbeliever. We need fresh ways to reflect on the Incarnation as the great myth that is also true.
Session Seven
Filming the Faith
Can we trust Hollywood with the cross of our Lord?
PLeviticus 17:11; Matthew 27:25; Acts 2:22–23; Romans 3:25–30; 1 Corinthians 3:11–14, 18–19; Philippians 1:15–18; Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 2:2
Using CHRISTIANITY TODAY's recent article "The Passion of Mel Gibson," we'll look at the issues surrounding The Passion movie and about what happens when Christianity is portrayed in film.
Session Eight
Hollywood Disciples
Even when they're writing fiction, these Hollywood insiders bring the truth to bear.
Matthew 5:13–16
It's not easy being salt and light in Hollywood. In this study we'll look at the role of Christians in Hollywood and Christ's call to bring the truth to our society.
Session Nine
The Television Dilemma
With hundreds of channels screaming for our attention, how do we decide what—or whether—to watch.
Matthew 6:27–29; 13:22; 1 Corinthians 10:23–33; 2 Corinthians 7:1; Philippians 4:8; 1 John 2:15–17
TV poses a difficult challenge for most believers. What's the best approach to television? This study will help you consider your TV viewing from a biblical perspective.
Session Ten
What Ned Flanders Tells Us About Christians
Nerdy Ned Flanders is the archetypical evangelical to nonevangelicals.
John 3:16–21; 15:1–16:4; 1 Corinthians 9:19–22; 12:12–26
Is nerdiness a stumbling block to the gospel, or is being un-hip simply the side effect of following Jesus?
Session Eleven
Dealing with Our Doubts
What we can learn from Emily Dickinson's struggle for certainty.
Genesis 3:19; Psalm 22:2–5, 22–24; Psalm 73:12–18; Psalm 77:3–13; Ecclesiastes 3: 1–2, 19–20; John 3:16; Romans 8:10–11; 1 Timothy 6:11–12
Is it wrong for a Christian to doubt? Emily Dickinson struggled her entire life to achieve certainty in her beliefs. What can we learn from her poetry about the risks of the Christian faith?
Session Twelve
Become a Literate Christian
Understand the Bible and classic texts to deepen your faith.
Proverbs 3:13–20; Ecclesiastes 1:12–18; 1 Corinthians 8:1–3; Jude
Our society's knowledge of Scripture is almost nonexistent. This study will address that concern and show the importance of becoming a more literate Christian.
Session Thirteen
Pass the Torch
Help the next generation hunger after the things of God.
Deuteronomy 6:1–9; Proverbs 3:13–20; Isaiah 55:1; John 12:25; Ephesians 2:10; Revelation 3:17
Hopefully, you feel a great need to pursue the knowledge of Scripture and the great works of Christians in the past. How can we pass that on to the next generation?
Total number of pages - 140
